California state university Northridge Case Scenario Essay

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MODERATOR
Good morning everyone, thank you so much
for coming today.
Concerns have been raised recently that the
strides that specialists are making in
prenatal genetic testing are leading us down
the path of eugenics.
ns
Eugenics, of course, is the theory and
practice of human improvement by way of
y th genetic manipulation to produce desired
ists
traits in a child. If history is any indicator,
there is cause for alarm where ethics issues
and eugenics are concerned.
Eugenics played a clear role in the Nazi
ctes “master race” project and the extermination
of millions of people who did not meet Nazi
criteria. Can the mistakes of the past be
the avoided? Doctors and legislators need to be
open-minded and willing to hear all opinions
on this topic.
Today we are talking specifically about a
blood test used to screen for Down
syndrome during the first trimester of
pregnancy.
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DR. WILLIAMS
The genetic test in question gives us the
ability to identify Down syndrome in the
womb without causing any harm to the fetus
through the use of a simple blood test.
Down syndrome can bring with it a lifetime of
pain and frustration which, in addition to the
potential for physical abnormalities, can
include a loss of cognitive ability, respiratory
problems, heart defects, and more.
This test is extremely low risk and almost
100% accurate; there is no reason to view
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me this as ethically questionable.
Giving parents this information in advance
ar means parents have more options in
general, and an opportunity to raise a
healthier child.
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MODERATOR
Dr. Garcia, we have a question from the
audience for you: I know there’s no cure, but
how long do people with Down syndrome
typically live, and what is their quality of life?
DR. GARCIA
Advances in medicine have improved life
pe dramatically for those with Down syndrome.
True, most still live shorter lives on average
than those without the disorder, but many
now live to be 60 or older. In the United
States, many people with Down syndrome
que complete high school, and some go on to
college. People with Down syndrome can
work, volunteer, and vote. And they are able
to give and receive love like everyone else.
MODERATOR
Thank you, Dr. Garcia.
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DR. WILLIAMS
We are not telling parents what to do with the
information we give them. We are simply
identifying a potential health hazard. This
test is a medical advance, plain and simple.
Previous tests for Down syndrome were not
as accurate, and required withdrawing
amniotic fluid, which came with substantial
risks. This is a basic blood test. We are
ial identifying a clear health risk. It’s non-
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compulsory, and the benefits are strictly for
greater health.
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DR. GARCIA
Perhaps not “strictly”. The test will inevitably
lead some parents to abort a child whose
test is positive for Down syndrome, but who
would not have developed any of the health
problems potentially associated with the
disorder.
Ahealthy life would have been prevented in
favor of another life with more culturally
accepted aesthetics, and little more. Making
this test available is also making decisions
about which lives we value as a society, and
with that we are stepping beyond the realm
of health care. This is the reason that some
of us fear that these tests are leading us as
a culture toward eugenics. The blood test for
Down syndrome is a medical advance, but
that does not mean it is an ethical advance.
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