Abstract
The technology of genetic diagnosis, both in utero and after birth, is developing with breathtaking speed. It is already possible to diagnose prenatally such chromosomal abnormalities as trisomy 13, 18 and 21 (the last is known as Down's syndrome) and such genetic diseases as Tay-Sachs and sickle cell anemia. Within the very near future, reliable prenatal testing will likely be available for such genetic diseases as cystic fibrosis' and Huntington's chorea. In most cases, we will also be able to determine those individuals at risk of having offspring who suffer from these conditions, and further, those individuals who will develop later onset conditions, if they have not done so already. Genetic therapy is also appearing as a realistic possibility, particularly for diseases such as Lesch-Nyhan syndrome that are caused by a deficiency in a single gene. These possibilities, developing every day, pose a number of ethical and legal problems for us both as individuals and as a society. If for no other reason than the speed of technological development, it is difficult for the law to keep pace.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.63140/k2ii3dk74f
Recommended Citation
Francis, Leslie P.
(1986)
"Recent Developments in Genetic Diagnosis: Some
Ethical and Legal Implications,"
Utah Law Review: Vol. 1986:
No.
3, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63140/k2ii3dk74f
Available at:
https://dc.law.utah.edu/ulr/vol1986/iss3/5