Register for email alerts and news feeds:
This journal | BMJ Group
rss
Journal of Medical Ethics 2003;29:213-216; doi:10.1136/jme.29.4.213
Copyright © 2003 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & Institute of Medical Ethics.
J Med Ethics 2003;29:213-216
© 2003 BMJ Publishing Group & Institute of Medical Ethics

CONTROVERSY

Extending preimplantation genetic diagnosis: medical and non-medical uses

J A Robertson

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor J A Robertson, Law School, University of Texas, 727 Dean Keeton Street, Austin, Texas, USA;
jrobertson{at}mail.law.utexas.edu

ABSTRACT

New uses of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to screen embryos prior to transfer raise ethical, legal, and policy issues that deserve close attention. Extensions for medical purposes, such as to identify susceptibility genes, late onset disease, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching, are usually ethically acceptable. Whether embryo screening for gender, perfect pitch, or other non-medical characteristics are also acceptable depends upon the parental needs served and the harm posed to embryos, children, and society. Speculations about potential future uses of PGD should not prevent otherwise acceptable current uses of PGD.

Keywords: HLA matching; embryo screening; gender selection; non-medical screening; preimplantation genetic diagnosis


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Meisenberg, G. (2009). Designer babies on tap? Medical students' attitudes to pre-implantation genetic screening. Public Understanding of Science 18: 149-166 [Abstract]  
  • Wright, C. F., Burton, H. (2009). The use of cell-free fetal nucleic acids in maternal blood for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. Hum Reprod Update 15: 139-151 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • El-Toukhy, T., Williams, C., Braude, P. (2008). The ethics of preimplantation genetic diagnosis. The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist 10: 49-54 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ashcroft, R (2003). Bach to the future: response to: Extending preimplantation genetic diagnosis: medical and non-medical uses. J. Med. Ethics 29: 217-219 [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article

Services
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.