Transcript Prenatal Diagnosis and Genetic Counseling

Bioethical Challenges for the
Rehabilitation Counselor
Bioethical Challenges - Current
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Advance Directives
Physician Assisted Suicide
Reproductive Technologies
Prenatal Diagnosis and Selective
Abortion
Prenatal Diagnosis and
Genetic Counseling
Ethical and Human Rights
Concerns
Prenatal Testing
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Used to detect genetic disorders during
early stages of pregnancy
Common Procedures:
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Maternal serum screening
Chorionic Villi sampling
Amniocentesis
Carries risk of procedure-related
miscarriage and false pos & neg
Why is it important to detect
genetic disorders?
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Reproductive Rights
Prevention of Suffering/Quality of Life
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Child (wrongful life)
Parent (wrongful birth)
Society
Gives family time to prepare
Why is it inappropriate to
engage in prenatal testing?
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Who is qualified to define quality of life?
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Those without disabilities believe far greater
suffering than those with disabilities
Quality of life is related to more to societal
response than to the disability itself
Parents may feel coerced to do their part to
“stamp out birth defects” (Moral responsibility
to avoid preventable disease)
Why is it inappropriate to
engage in prenatal testing?
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Everyone has the right to exist
Child’s future right to autonomy is
compromised by upholding parental right to
autonomy
Slippery Slope
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Discrimination vs. PWD
Selective abortion based on other undesirable
characteristics – “Made to order” children
Perpetuates neg. attitudes toward disability
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Better not to be born than to have a disability
Why is it inappropriate to
engage in prenatal testing?
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Belief that genetic counselors and
physicians are biased toward selective
abortion
General lack of knowledge about
disability
Must make decision quickly before fully
informed due to increased medical risk
as pregnancy advances
Bioethical Challenges – Into
the Future
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Genetic Engineering
Cloning