Genetics

Advancements in the science of genetics develop at unprecedented rates. Genetic information is generated quicker than legal and social systems can respond. Developments in the engineering faÐ*ade contributed nano-equipments working at expeditious speeds. Upspring of new technologies enabling far-crying discoveries made in biological science allowed scientists to manipulate living cells and obtain genetic information that were once inviolable. Consequently, it leads to new scientific and social mechanisms that affect human life everlastingly.

"ELSI" is the acronym for ethical, legal and social issues, one of the world's largest bioethics program, led by the 13-year long Human Genome Project (HGP) coordinated by the U.S Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The excitement is in the exploration of mystical genetics that were never trod on. Genetic information becomes abused by employers, insurers, as well as the public when tests become simpler to administer and their use expands.

Genetic testing refers to the genetic diagnosis of a person's vulnerabilities to inherited diseases as well as for determining ancestry. Key procedures involve detecting changes in chromosomes, genes or proteins by examining DNA. Some examples of genetic testing are carrier testing, prenatal testing, newborn screening, predictive and presymptomatic testing, forensic testing and research testing. There are screening for cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Huntington's disease and many others. Genetic tests results are potentially valuable for medical treatment but are at the same time increasingly used out of context in ways contrary to interests of patients.

Different types of testing carry different legal or ethical controversies. For genetic test involving individuals, it is crucial the patients have given permission, understand the procedure, benefits as well as limitations, and the possible consequences of the results. Results are not always straightforward, precisely why genetic testing is riddled with a bottomless abyss of challenges regarding their interpretation, effectiveness, safety and validity, on top of disputes regarding genetic testing benefits, discrimination, privacy, confidentiality, stigmatism, commercialization of property rights such as DNA ownership, fairness in using of genetic information by insurers and many other implications.

Genetic counseling is the process of advising individuals who according to genetic testing are deduced to be at risk of inherited disorder. They are guided on the consequences and of the disease, the probability of developing it, and the options in management and family planning in order to prevent or ameliorate it. Private handling and expertise is required, hence genetic counselors are health professionals certified by statutory boards.

In the U.S., legal enforcement laws include former President Bill Clinton endorsing a policy in year 2000 that prohibits federal departments from using genetic information for hiring action. However there is also a patchwork of incomprehensive laws differing in coverage, protections and enforcement. Some prohibit employers from using and acquiring genetic information from workers, while some permit. Several countries have laws that protect citizens against genetic discrimination, however genetic testing is too fast-growing for these laws to cover every situation.

Genetic discrimination describes individuals being treated unequally by employers or insurance companies based on predictive genetic information. Furthermore, this discrimination is not scientifically accurate as genes serve as only one of the many reasons why some people fall ill and others do not. Knowing the genetic makeup is still inadequate

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