Genetic Testing and Screening

Genetic Testing and Screening

Caroline Barkechir

California Baptist University

This paper is

        According to Burkhardt (2013), ethical dilemma occurs when options include conflicting moral claims. It can also lead to conflict it there is an act which is evidenced based and shows that it is right, or also evidence based and it shows that the act is it is wrong, but no evidence is conclusive. Burkhardt continues to explain that: “a dilemma can occur when an agent believes that one or more norms exist to support one course of action or more actions exist to support the cause of action”. The purses of this paper to focus on the health care setting, the past health care and the ongoing healthcare because ethical issues is one of the conflicting issues health care providers do face in there daily lives, and each one of them has different perspectives and this leads to ethical dilemma.

        According to (Ivanov, A. (2013). Newborn screening was first introduced to united states in 1962, and the since then the screening has been an ongoing process to all the newborn in the country. The main aim of screening was to detect phenylketonuria (PKU) in newborn babies. As a result, it has led to more diverse and it now includes diseases of varying seriousness. Due to the expansion of genetic testing and screening it has prompted some authors to introduce mandatory newborn screening or screening with minimal informed consent procedures not acceptable.

        Genetic testing and screening being made mandatory is questionable because parents should be offered the option to choose if they want their newborn to be tested. It puts the value of moral integrity questionable because the parent might not be into genetic screening and how trustable the health care providers are. The question which is likely to occur is whether the informed consent is need. The future autonomy of the child is also another concern with genetic screening. Burkhardt (2013) defines autonomy as having the “freedom to make choices about the issue that affects one’s life, free from lies, restraints or coercion”. This occurs when there is a concern about late diseases later in child life. This test is considered morally unjustified in child view because it was done when they did not know about it and deprivation of right to decide. The article continues to point out that some issues such as who has access to information and for how long the information will be stored is another conflicting issue.

        Ethical dilemma arises when preference regarding the scope of prenatal test between pregnant women health care professionals. The article illustrate that it may be preferable to differentiate the testing offered in that it will benefit women. This means that pregnant women can determine whether they would benefit more from the test. However, Advantages and feasibility this choice are unclear, because it comes with a lot of associated burdens and the difficulties which might lead to informed consent. Another ethical dilemma which arises after genetic testing is when they detect a disease that is untreatable. Although the pregnancy can be continued one can screen their child. This can lead to the same issues of the child right not to know would be violated. Violation of the principle of autonomy is being presented here because there is reproductive autonomy of the child future right to know and that of a parent. Obtaining information in the prenatal setting may be used by the parents if they want to keep the child or terminate the pregnancy.