Insuring
Genetic Privacy
Genetic
testing is a powerful tool that currently can reveal important information
about an individual's health. But the information is very limited
because of our incomplete understanding of the human genome. Once
researchers figure out the functions of all our genes, they'll be
able to develop genetic profiles of our individual tendency
to develop disease or suffer from a syndrome. Genetic testing will
provide a pretty accurate picture of your health over our life span,
and that's powerful information.
A very important
question then becomes who has access to that information? If, for
instance, your genetic profile shows you are prone to heart disease,
an insurance company could refuse to give you health coverage. Employers
could use the information as a basis for selecting employees, instead
of relying on traditional tools like interviews and resumes. Colleges
could base their acceptance practices on genetic profiles. So who
has a right to the information and who doesn't?
As science
moves ahead and genetic testing becomes more sophisticated and complete,
it will be very important to debate who will have access to our
genetic information.
See also:
http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/resource/keefer.html |
