Societal Concerns Arising from the New Genetics Essay Example Essay Example

Societal Concerns Arising from the New Genetics Essay Example Paper Societal Concerns Arising from the New Genetics Essay Introduction Societal Concerns Arising from the New Genetics Lecturer: Societal Concerns Arising from the New Genetics Essay Body Paragraphs Societal Concerns Arising from the New Genetics Introduction Due to current advances in technology and research, the subject of genomics and its knowledge is profound. However, the subject is still new and there has not been much legislation of the necessary law regarding the access and use of such information. Genetics is the study of the gene factor, which is believed to be the answer in understanding an organism’s psychosocial behavior. It is believed that all the characteristics of a given person: his height, figure, behavioral patterns and many others are all embedded in the genetic strand (Redhead, 2003). The ethical Problem The subject of new genetics poses a number of societal concerns that relate to the privacy and confidentiality of a person’s genetic information. The subject evokes the question on the person with the responsibility of taking care and accessing the genetic information. The use and abuse of genetic information by the various stakeholders is als o an issue that is faced in handling a person’s genetic information. The major stakeholders The major stakeholders in this sector are the insurers, employers, courts, schools, adoption agencies, and the military. The position of the stakeholders In the court system, the relevance and application of medical information in court cases is still a major issue. The court system utilizes the genetic information in crime scenes to make final judgments on a given case. Currently, the trial judge is the person mandated with the responsibility of making the decision on the use of scientific testimony in a court case. He or she will decide on the relevance of the scientific testimony that is, whether it is to be used in the court proceedings or not. The research on genetics is still young and the court system is still grappling whether it is a reliable source for making final rulings in court cases. The political system is also a major stakeholder in the issue of genetics. One case that the political system is interested in is the human genome project. Since the project is funded mostly by the government, the high cost incurred in running the entire project is of major concern for the government. On completion of the project, the access to the information is bound to of immense commercial value. There is concern on whether the information pertained in the genome project could be used for beneficial purposes or abused. Britain and the United States of America have shown immense interest in the project that it is believed that the two governments will be in control of the access and use of the information in the human genome project (DeSalle, Yudell American Museum of Natural History, 2005). The insurance companies are major stakeholders in the issue of genomics. The insurance companies are concerned with their client’s genetic history so that by having such information, they can anticipate and make proper financial models regarding the person’s accou nts. The companies are able to use the information pertained in a person’s past to model the possible risk factors in insuring the individual. They could use the information to model their products and premiums to accommodate the client’s needs. This goes a long way to ensure that their products and premiums are relevant and reliable. The insurance companies perceive the presence of genetic information as a reliable source of information of the general heath dynamics of a given population. This information could be used to predict possible health problems and therefore structure insurance premiums to insure against such. The employers are interested in the genetic information of their potential employees to make conclusive decisions on their employment. The employers are concerned with their employee’s history and genetic profile to alleviate future claims in medical covers. Persons who exhibit a genetic predisposition are less likely to be considered for employ ment by a company because the company deems the individual as a liability. This is because such individuals pose a potential health risk to the company in terms of medical expenses and insurance premium payments. There is also the fear of the possibility that such employees could provide the company with very few work hours while spending most on sick leaves and offs. This is why employers would like to have access to the genetic information so that they can be able to evade the risks involved in employing such individuals. The ethical conflict among stakeholders Currently, the insurance companies are restricted from demanding or requesting their potential clients or employees to take genetic tests for their genetic information (DeSalle, Yudell American Museum of Natural History, 2005). The authorities have outlawed this activity because they have realized that the information submitted is only used for the company’s interests and not those of the individual. Furthermore, th e genetic information only gives future possibilities and is not the actual current health condition of the person. For instance, an individual with a family history of epilepsy only gives the possibility of the person suffering of epilepsy in the future but not necessarily, a must he does. The restriction of employers and insurance companies from requesting their employees and clients from taking genetic tests has many loopholes. This is because the employer could still obtain their genetic information (Wilson, 2010). This is because the medical records are still currently accessible to many. In many job vacancies, the potential employees are required to undergo certain medical tests to establish the individual’s state of health. This medical evaluation could include the individual submitting all the medical records and information that the person currently has. Failure by the individual to submit the relevant information results in the termination of his employment process. This leads to many having to provide the necessary medical information requested. An individual’s genetic information ought to be classified as private and confidential. Such information ought to be accessible to only the individual and his or her medical practitioner. Other external parties ought to be locked out from accessing such information. The individual’s genetic information ought only to be used for the general benefit of the individual. The genetic information of a person could result in certain persons being ostracized in the society. There are certain medical conditions that are known to be hereditary. If the information of a person suffering from one is made public, the society could end up shunning the individual because it would seem as a weakness to him (Pokorski, 1994). Managing the ethical conflict The most possible way of alleviating this ethical conflict is by restricting the access of the genetic information of an individual to the person and his or her medical practitioner. Other parties that may want to gain access to such information ought to give substantial explanation as to why they require the information. If the individual feels that he or she is comfortable with it and that his interests are secure, then the information could be availed to the concerned third parties (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2002). Resolution to the ethical conflict The human genome project and other similar ventures are necessary for the benefit of man. The research on the use of the information should of course be subject to regulations or guidelines that limit the access and use of such information for the benefit of man. Such information ought to be used to remedy disease or help in further research but not for commercial gains or alleviating risks. Response to the criticism Research into human genetics is inevitable. The society should encourage and support because the results are of immeasurable benefits to the human race. Th e use of genetic information could be used to enhance the performance and remedy diseases. There are cases where individuals have used genetic enhancements to make their bodies perform at optimum levels. This shows that research into genetics has immeasurable benefits to the human race (Caplan, 1994). Conclusion The human genome project is a very crucial and important research venture. The findings will enable the human race to demystify the issues regarding the use of medical technology to cure maladies and its use to enhance human appearance and performance. The genetic information provided gives allows medical personnel to have a definitive knowledge on the necessary traits that are to be altered to attain the required results (Campbell, Heyer, 2003) . References Campbell, A. M. Heyer, L. J. (2003). Discovering genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings. Caplan, A. L. (1994). Handle with care: Race, class, and genetics. In T. F. Murphy, M. A. La ppe (Eds.), Justice and the human genome project (pp. 30-45). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. DeSalle, R., Yudell, M., American Museum of Natural History. (2005). Welcome to the genome: A user’s guide to the genetic past, present, and future. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Liss. National Human Genome Research Institute. (2002). ELSI Research Program [Online]. Retrieved from http://www.genome.gov. Pokorski, R. J. (1994). Use of genetic information by private insurers. In T. F. Murphy, M. A. Lappe (Eds.), Justice and the human genome project (pp. 91-109). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Redhead, C. S. (2003). Medical records privacy: Questions and answers on the HIPAA final rule. Congressional Research Service Report for Congress. Washington, DC: The Library of Congress. Wilson, L. E. (2010). Ethical, Legal and Social Issues of Genomic Research: Striking a Balance between Science and Law. The CBS Interactive Business Network. 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