In 1983, a group of Orthodox Jews in New York and Israel initiated a screening p
ID: 266880 • Letter: I
Question
In 1983, a group of Orthodox Jews in New York and Israel initiated a screening program with the aim of eliminating from their community diseases transmitted as recessive genes. The group called itself Dor Yeshorim, “the generation of the righteous”. Because Orthodox Jews do not approve of abortion in most instances, the program does not employ pre-natal testing. Instead, people are given a blood test to determine whether they carry the genes for Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis or Gaucher’s disease. Each person is given a six-digit identification number, and if two people consider dating, they are encouraged to call a hotline. They are told either that they are “compatible” or that they carry a recessive gene for one of the three diseases. Couples who are carriers are offered counseling. During 1993, 8000 people were tested, and eighty-seven couples who were considering marriage decided against it after they learned that they were both carriers of recessive genes. The tests were initially only for Tay-Sachs, but over time other diseases were added, and by 2010 the organization were testing for ten diseases all of the lethal or debilitating. However, some critics regard it as a mistake to have moved from testing for almost invariably lethal, untreatable diseases such as Tay-Sachs to testing for cystic fibrosis, the symptoms of which have some treatments available. Individuals may feel pressured into being tested, and those who are carriers of one or more disease-predisposing genes may become unmarriageable social outcasts. Now, do YOU think that the genetic testing described in this case study was right or wrong? Why? Use an idea from one article (Kass, Purdy or Davis) AND something from the film clip Gattaca AND one of the ethical theories (Mill, Kant, Aquinas, Aristotle or Gilligan) to help support your answer. Be sure to give page references.( book: Bioethics; author: Lewis Vaughn, 3rd Edition)
Explanation / Answer
I believe genetic testing is had been an area of dispute since a long time, and still continues to be. Currently, genetic testing still continues to be an area of debate, especially because of the negative implications coming with genetic testing. In this case as well, genetic testing is justified, as it is simply aiming to remove certain diseases which may be cause as a result of recessive conditions. Even though two individuals may be recessive for the same, they cannot be deemed unmarriageable. This is because, if the people want they could not conceive, or adopt, or they could be prevent marriage, since their child might have future problems. Or, the couple can keep the child if they could afford the treatment and want to take care of the child. So, the decision is completely on the couple, but genetic testing is justified.