HGP: ETHICAL CONCERNS

P38

Privacy and confidentiality of genetic information

Issues of ownership and who can access the
information
Fairness in the use of genetic information by
insurers, employers, courts, schools, military etc
Issues of using the information in an unbiased
and non-discriminatory manner
Psychological impact
Not clear how personal genetic info affects an
individual in society and societys perception of
that individual

HGP: ETHICAL CONCERNS

P38

Reproductive issues
whether healthcare personnel are properly
counseling parents about risks and
limitations of genetic test to be carried out
To-be parents may have to make difficult
decisions of whether to terminate pregnancy
due to genetic disorder
Clinical issues
educating doctors & the public so that
doctors are better prepared and can advise
patients and the public can make informed
choices

HGP: Ethical Concerns

Fairness in access to advanced genomic
technologies
Questions of who can access to these
technologies
Some will benefit more than the others
(inequities)
Reliability and accuracy of the genetic test
Implementing quality control measures to
make sure that genetic test are evaluated and
regulated for reliability and accuracy

Ethical concerns of HGP

Uncertainties associated with gene tests for
susceptibilities and complex conditions
(e.g., heart disease, diabetes, and
Alzheimer's disease)
how accurate are these tests?
Conceptual and philosophical implications
regarding human responsibility, free will vs
genetic determinism, and concepts of health
and disease.
Commercialisation of products including
property rights (patents, copyrights, and
trade secrets) and accessibility of data and
materials.