The Ethics Of Medical Genetic Research And Treatment
The ethics of genetic research and treatment has always been an issue because of a number of things, including who gets access to the different types of therapy that come about as the result of such research. Whether or not someone should be required to get tested for a genetic disease like Huntington's is still up in the air as to whether or not it is ethical. It is one of the worst genetic diseases because it results in a slow yet steady decline and is often very painful. Those who have the disease do not begin to show symptoms until adulthood, which is why so many people think that getting tested early on is important and should even be mandatory.
Genetic testing has actually come very far in recent years, with the development of many tests that can tell a person what they have in terms of a genetic disease early on before they start to show symptoms. With diseases that can be treated or even cured, these tests can end up saving the lives of those who get them. There are are many genetic conditions having to do with the heart, including HCM, which are genetic. For those who have family members with the condition there are tests, and most of the time they are quite accurate.
Who should gain access to someone's genetic test results is also another ethical question that has yet to be answered. Some people argue that a person's employer and insurance company has the right to know if that person has a certain deadly genetic disease, and others argue that it is information that should stay confidential. The problem with discrimination based on a medical condition is that people who have them can end up getting let go from their jobs because of it and have their premiums raised for health insurance.
The problem with genetic research and the ability to manipulate genes is that it is difficult to draw the line when it comes to where we stop with regards to creating the perfect child with a certain height, weight, and even eye color. These genetic developments are not far off, and there are even certain doctors who offer these services already to parents who are expecting. It certainly poses the question of whether or not it is ethical to manipulate the genes of unborn children in these ways.
Gene therapy is the result of medical research that has been done for many years and shows a lot of promise with treating multiple conditions that could end up becoming lethal for a person who has one. One of the ethical dilemmas with this type of treatment is how much it will cost and therefore who will have access to it. Should be find a definitive way to cure a certain genetic disease, would it in fact be ethical to deny certain people this treatment simply on the basis that they cannot afford it? There are many considerations to make when it comes to genetic research in the medical field.