Topic #4: Would you want to know if you carry genes that would cause you or your
ID: 96991 • Letter: T
Question
Topic #4: Would you want to know if you carry genes that would cause you or your future children to develop a debilitating or fatal disease?- As scientists locate more and more genes on the human genome, it is possible to determine whether someone has a predisposition or is a carrier for debilitating and even fatal disease. If a disease ran in your family, would you get tested for the gene? If you found that you and your spouse were carriers for a disease, would you still have children and hope for the best, would you have in-vitro fertilization and implant embryos that were found not to carry the gene, or get pregnant the old fashion way and terminate the pregnancy if the embryo were affected?
Explanation / Answer
Ans.) Yes, like any normal individual, I would like to know the genetic composition of my progeny to make sure that my future children would not carry any debilitating or fatal disease.
Nowadays, by the application of latest techniques of genetics and molecular biology, it is quite possible to establish whether someone has an inclination or is a carrier for devastating and fatal disease.
Yes, if there is some particular disease ran in my family, I would definitely go for genetic test.
And eventually, if it is found that I am carrying certain harmful disease causing genes. In that case, I will not have child because there is a major chance that the faulty genes will be inherited to the progeny also and eventually cause the disease.
Instead of normal fertilization, I will go for the in-vitro fertilization and implant embryos that were found not to carry the faulty gene to prevent the progeny from any life threatening illness.