Genetic Tests: Say No to PGD

DEBORAH CHEN
Copy Editor

If you had the chance to ensure that your child would never inherit a disease that results from a genetic mutation, would you take it?

The genetic testing of embryos has been around for over a decade; however, its use has increased in recent years due to more efficient methods and the discovery of disease-causing genes.

According to CNN, there is a fairly new procedure called the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) that allows doctors to test embryos before they implant them into a woman’s womb in order to ensure that certain gene mutations are not passed on. They perform PGD by using in vitro fertilization (IVF), so the sperm will fertilize eggs outside of the womb, creating embryos. One cell will be removed and tested for hundreds for genes when the embryos are a few days old.

In addition, this procedure could also be utilized for the selection of embryos based on other genetic factors. For example, also according to CNN, parents could decide to choose their future child’s gender, and in the future, certain behavioral and physical characteristics such as intelligence, height and hair color. Wealthy parents can afford to pay $20,000 for each cycle of IVF, but other parents may not have the finances to do so. Therefore, over time, certain diseases can become relegated to a particular social group. The gap between the wealthy and everyone else has been expanding, so why should IVF be used as another method to widen the gap even more?

This procedure brings to light a myriad of moral and social issues. While PGD can relieve parents of their worries of their children potentially contracting a fatal disease due to a genetic mutation, this would be playing God. Everyone is born with certain flaws and characteristics, and we should be embracing our flaws and accepting them instead of trying to find ways to change them.