As the fields of genetics and biotechnology have advanced, we have gained a deeper understanding of the role genes play in shaping who we are. Following the [completion of the human genome project?], genetic testing has become easier, quicker, and more affordable, allowing unprecedented access to individuals’ genetic information in both the medical and consumer spheres. In the current “information age”, the easy availability and dissemination of genetic information reflects a larger shift toward how we treat data— but while the way we handle some sorts of data may be more straightforward, the unique nature of genetic information raises new ethical concerns. Since our genetic information influences so many aspects of our personal identities, …show more content…
Following the discovery that inheritance could be linked to chromosomes in the early 1900s, genetic technologies have advanced rapidly. Genetic testing for disease first emerged in the 1960s, with a method to screen newborns for the metabolic defect phenylketonuria (PKU). In the decades to follow, tests for other birth defects (e.g. congenital hypothyroidism, down syndrome, and cystic fibrosis) became available, and prenatal screening of this sort remains the most widespread application of genetic testing today. In the 1970s and 1980s, large-scale population testing for diseases affecting specific ethnic groups (e.g. Tay-Sachs disease, sickle cell anemia) was implemented in many U.S. states. While mass-population screening programs of this sort have been fairly successful when well-executed and accompanied by sufficient education, they have also resulted in stigmatization and discrimination, and this has made their use controversial. In 1984, the process of DNA profiling was developed, allowing for identification of unique individuals. This method has found applications in forensics (e.g. identifying DNA related to a crime), paternity testing,