Moral And Ethical Barriers To Genetic Screening

Can you imagine a world where everyone got to pick their children 's genetic traits like picking clothes from a magazine? Being able to choose characteristics like their hair and eye color, or even in a pursuit of perceived genetic and financial advantage can take place if we allow genetic engineering in humans. Genetic screening is defined as an assessment of an individual 's genetic makeup to detect inheritable defects that may be transmitted to offspring. There are many moral and ethical barriers for genetic screening; barriers such as pushing society toward "designer babies," or if a baby is said to have a certain genetic defect is it appropriate to terminate their pregnancy? Another barrier for genetic screening is that, genetic screening and "designer babies" would lead to requiring experimentation on women as well as on children. Many people argue that genetic screening can help treat diseases for future generations. It is unacceptable to use genetic screening to produce genetically healthy, or even “designer" babies. Moral and ethical barriers exist when beginning to change a humans genes. Many have feared the …show more content…
Women and children would have to be experimented on extensively just to find results for genetically modifying babies genetic makeup. There are some pros for genetically screening and modifying babies genetic makeup, like possibly curing diseases in the future. Even though genetic technology can put parents at ease, these same genetic technologies will allow forms of genetic manipulation that could endanger equality, social justice, human rights, and other core progressive values (Hayes). Because this form of genetic engineering could endanger duality, social justice, human rights, and other progressive values, it is unacceptable to use genetic screening to produce genetically healthy, or even “designer"