Pros and Cons of Genetic Screening

Number 16

Genetic screening is one of the newest and most sophisticated of methods used for testing genetic disorders. It involves direct examination of the DNA molecule. Genetic screening is used for many reasons such as carrier screening, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, prenatal diagnostic testing, newborn screening, presymptomatic testing, conformational diagnosis, and forensic/identity testing. One positive effect of Genetic screening is that it allows genetic diagnosis of vulnerabilities inherit diseases it also can tell a child's genetic father and even discover a person's ancestry. In prenatal testing a diagnosis can be made on a fetus that will allow plenty of time for decision to be made about a treatment. Another positive result of genetic screening is that it can help predetermine the carrier status of couples that are planning parenthood. With information from the genetic tests couples can decide if the risks of having a child outweigh the advantages. Negative outcomes of genetic testing can physical but is usually emotional or financial. A small but serious negative outcome is in prenatal testing because it carries a small but real risk of losing the pregnancy because they require a sample of amniotic fluid or tissue from around the fetus. A negative emotional response could be shock, or depression at the results of a test. Another con is that the testing will not show us the severity of the problem. Genetic screening is also a very expensive process and may not be affordable to all people.