Ethics in Genetics

Ethics in Genetics

Ethics can merely be defined as a branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles of a particular activity. Genetics, on the other hand, is a branch of biology that deals with the study of genes in human beings. There is a broad relationship between both ethics and genetics which cannot be underseen and hence a necessity to carry out adequate research to find ethical reflections about various genetic practices. Genetics disorders result in insurance and employment discrimination to the affected families and hence the need of applying ethics in genetic-related disorders. Nursing practices are consequently affected by these two interdisciplinary topics. A case study of Dan and Erin is used to establish a reflection of ethics to genetic disorders.

The case study narrates that Dan and Erin are about to have a newborn baby, and therefore they decide to acquire a life insurance policy with high levels of coverage. The process of obtaining the life insurance policy requires that some genetic tests have to be carried on the two partners. The results of the testing revealed that Dan has a genetic disorder that carries the genetic mutation responsible for Huntington’s Disease. The disorder can lead to death twenty years after symptoms become visible. The obstetrician advised the couple on the necessity and the availability of genetic counseling. Dan decides not to inform his sisters and brothers about the results of the test. Some years later Dan’s sister passes away from the same genetic disorder. Dan’s older brother Larry also applies for the same life insurance policy, but this time around then Larry is not required to undergo a genetic test. Larry provides information that there is no any genetic disorder disease which has been reported in their family without knowing that genetic analysis revealed that Dan has a genetic disorder.

Genetics disorders are diseases affecting members of the same family and can be inherited from one member of the family to another; for example, a genetic disorder can be inherited from parents to children(Hayden,2013). Health professionals thus have to follow some ethical codes when handling individuals affected by genetic conditions to avoid stigmatization of the patients suffering from these genetic disorders. The individuals suffering from genetic disorders also have a responsibility to consider the impact of their genetic conditions not only to their health but also to other family members. There are several factors which can make individuals fail to reveal their genetic conditions to other family members. Therefore, genetic ethics states that each individual has a right to decide on whether to carry out a genetic test or not to carry out the analysis.

Ethical dilemmas contribute a significant challenge on the interaction between ethics and genetic.One moral dilemma from the case study is when should an individual decide to carry out a genetic test? From the case study, Larry has not carried out any genetic analysis but he his living a healthy life which is the contrast to the case of Larry’s sister who would have maybe lived longer had she carried out the genetic test to try to control it. Another ethical dilemma revealed is that do employers have a right to demand genetic history from their employees? Dan is required that he should carry out a genetic test. The test, on the one hand, is useful to him for his health issues but on the other side, the analysis makes him not to be given the life insurance he had applied for, and this can easily make him suffer stigmatization because of the insurance discrimination. The other ethical dilemma is who should actually ‘own’ the information about the genetic test and who has the responsibility for the information?

Confidentiality about the information of genetic test is sometimes essential as it helps the affected and the infected individuals to avoid some discrimination in the society. Dan kept the news about his genetic condition a secret to his brother Larry. The result of Dan’s confidentiality is Larry being able to obtain life insurance without being discriminated because he has no idea of any relative who has ever been diagnosed with any genetic disorder. The genetic test should be decided only by an individual by whether to carry it or not. Before the test, the individual should undergo pre-test counseling. This is important because it ensures that the individual can withstand the results of the test regardless of how the results will be. Dan’s brothers and sisters had not undergone any pre-testing counselling, and therefore it would be very unethical for the physician to inform Dan’s relatives about his genetic condition. Telling the relatives would inflict fear to Dan’s relative because they had not undergone any counseling before the genetic testing.

Whether or not to have a baby for the parents with a genetic disorder is a decision to be made by the parents.The parents may decide to carry out a genetic test to the unborn embryo during the pregnancy to discover whether there is any genetic disorder to their unborn baby. Some parents choose to continue with the pregnancy while other parents decide to terminate the pregnancy if they discover that their unborn baby has a genetic disorder disease. Different cultures and communities have different moral ethics and beliefs concerning unborn babies with a genetic disorder(Cyranoski,2015)  . The uncertainties surrounding the life insurance companies and the genetic test activity has in recent raised a lot of questions in the society just as in the case of the case study provided. The insurance companies require that the policy applicants must carry out the genetic test to qualify for the life insurance policy. However, this brings about the complexity of social and ethical regulations. The insurer suffers the risk of not be eligible to acquire the policy, and this kind of discrimination makes the affected persons feel discriminated in society. The case study reveals that Dan was not qualified to obtain life insurance because of his genetic disorder disease. Dan then decided to live a secret life from the other family members because he felt that he was being discriminated for having a genetic disorder. On birth of Dan’s unborn baby, ethical regulation stipulates that the child should be given his right to apply for the life insurance policy based on the information of his genetic test. Dan’s child should not be denied access to the life insurance policy on the ground that his father has a genetic disorder disease.

Generally, genetic disorder conditions are family health problems which are inherited from one family member to another. Ethical regulations allow individuals with genetic disorder diseases to freely live in a society without being discriminated from acquiring a life insurance policy. Genetic test activity should, therefore, be carried only at the accredited genetics test laboratories.

Hayden, E. C. (2013). Ethics: Taboo genetics. Nature News, 502(7469), 26.

Cyranoski, D. (2015). Ethics of embryo editing divides scientists. Nature News, 519(7543), 272.