Considering ethical, legal, and religious implications of genetic tests

Content provided by Healthwise

Considering ethical, legal, and religious implications of genetic tests

The decision to have genetic tests may involve consideration of your ethical, legal, and religious issues.

• The discovery of a genetic disease that is not causing current symptoms may affect a person's future ability to gain employment or insurance coverage. This may be true for a disease that affects you late in life, such as Huntington's disease, or for a disease that can be detected in your unborn child, such as Down syndrome.
• Genetic tests may detect a serious disease in a fetus that will greatly impact its life after birth and impact the lives of caregivers. A pregnant woman who is considering genetic tests may want to consider her ethical, social, and religious beliefs to help her determine the actions she would take if test results are positive.
• A genetic test result is sensitive information. Your confidentiality should be maintained and the release of information should be limited to those who are authorized to receive it.

If you are considering genetic tests, you should clearly understand the implications of all possible test results before making a decision about testing. Genetic counseling can help you explore the implications of possible test results.

Credits

Last updated:	March 23, 2006
Author:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC
Reviewed By:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine, Siobhan M. Dolan, MD, MPH - Reproductive Genetics
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Terrina Vail