According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG] (2008), since the Human Genome Project was initiated in the 1990’s, it has brought with it many ethical considerations. Along with the success of genetic testing comes the realization that difficult choices come with a positive diagnosis. The parents, sometimes, are not prepared to make these difficult decisions no matter how much counseling has been completed. A choice that may be to parents following a positive diagnosis of prenatal testing is to terminate the pregnancy.
Ethical Dilemma
The ability to foresee a child’s predisposed health before they are born now leads to even deeper ethical questions and established prejudices. At the very least Insurance companies …show more content…
Ballantyne and colleagues (2009) debate that it is socially unjust not to offer safe, legal abortions for women at a low economic status. They furthermore state that illegal abortions put these women at a higher risk of having a life-threatening illegal abortion or becoming more financially overwhelmed due to being forced to care for a child with severe disabilities. Buffafurni and Chang (2009) counter the argument of Ballantyne and colleagues by arguing that true social justice would require needed support to be offered to women of any economic status who chose to carry and deliver a child with known anomalies as well as safe, legal elective abortion. Shelton (2016) suggests that much-needed reform concerning abortion, especially that deemed medically necessary, should be called for in countries such as the UK and Ireland where all abortion is considered criminal offenses, no matter the medical reasoning or …show more content…
There is not a guarantee of testing not resulting in false positive diagnosis, causing even added stress to the parents, as with there is also the possibility of false negative test results (Bredenoord, Pennings, Smeets, & Wert, 2007). Also, those who are advocates of testing suggest that the dissatisfaction of those with disabilities and their family stem from the disability itself and not stressful external factors that are experienced by everyone. For someone disabled or their family dissatisfaction may stem from a lack of social support. There is research that disabled individuals can play a vital, productive part in society. Genetic disabilities, though some may be severe, do not always render the person continually disabled, but may be an illness where there are episodes of exacerbation (Asch,
Ethical Dilemma
The ability to foresee a child’s predisposed health before they are born now leads to even deeper ethical questions and established prejudices. At the very least Insurance companies …show more content…
Ballantyne and colleagues (2009) debate that it is socially unjust not to offer safe, legal abortions for women at a low economic status. They furthermore state that illegal abortions put these women at a higher risk of having a life-threatening illegal abortion or becoming more financially overwhelmed due to being forced to care for a child with severe disabilities. Buffafurni and Chang (2009) counter the argument of Ballantyne and colleagues by arguing that true social justice would require needed support to be offered to women of any economic status who chose to carry and deliver a child with known anomalies as well as safe, legal elective abortion. Shelton (2016) suggests that much-needed reform concerning abortion, especially that deemed medically necessary, should be called for in countries such as the UK and Ireland where all abortion is considered criminal offenses, no matter the medical reasoning or …show more content…
There is not a guarantee of testing not resulting in false positive diagnosis, causing even added stress to the parents, as with there is also the possibility of false negative test results (Bredenoord, Pennings, Smeets, & Wert, 2007). Also, those who are advocates of testing suggest that the dissatisfaction of those with disabilities and their family stem from the disability itself and not stressful external factors that are experienced by everyone. For someone disabled or their family dissatisfaction may stem from a lack of social support. There is research that disabled individuals can play a vital, productive part in society. Genetic disabilities, though some may be severe, do not always render the person continually disabled, but may be an illness where there are episodes of exacerbation (Asch,