Reference no: EM13811043
The process of Genetic testing is very important, but it faces some problems and challenges. On the other hand, these challenges can be solved in order to protect the rights of an individual then genetic privacy should be advocated The virtual of genetic privacy is crucial and vital in ensuring that the genetic information is not intended for the wrong purposes such as the genetic discrimination.
Genetic privacy should be advocated since this will be very helpful to the patient who is undergoing a given genetic test. Confidence will, therefore, be created as a result of this and given the fact that confidence is a very important virtue in a human being's life, then the life of the patient would not be affected since he or she will still have self-esteem despite the results of the tests. The problem of people using false names when undergoing certain genetic tests would, therefore, be solved since people would be confident to use their real names when undergoing such tests (Hall & Rich, 2000). The idea of Genetic privacy would also be beneficial in ensuring that particular disorders that are hereditary are known to the family concerned. An example of this is the case of baldness which is usually hereditary, and this would psychologically help the family members of a certain family that has such a disorder in their lineage to seek the services of hair implant in future depending on their wishes.
The virtue of Genetic Privacy has been supported by the government since it has put in place measures that ensure the safeguarding of the privacy of such information. The measures involved include making it illegal for anyone or any party in accessing the information concerning genetic tests without the consent of the owner (Hall & Rich, 2000). Under these measures, the owner of such information is given the option of opting out if the individual is not contented with the idea of undergoing a particular genetic test. An individual can, therefore, not be forced to undergo such a test if he or she doesn't wish to do so, and this strengthens his or her freedom by becoming the main stakeholder in such an issue (Rothstein & Anderlik, 2001).
Another solution for the genetic tests and the aftermath of discrimination concerns the championing of equality by the human rights groups and activists. The activists became a force to reckon with since they ensure that no matter one's conditions or characteristics we ought to be treated with dignity, respect and equally (Rothstein & Anderlik, 2001). The factor that becomes important from the activism of the human rights is the case of insurance companies' policies. Traditionally the companies in the insurance sector used to discriminate
people in the issuance of covers based on particular disorders in which they possessed, and this was very inhumane since if you had such a disorder and they believed that you could die soon then they could deny you such a cover. Their idea was that there was no need to insure you since you were in your death bed but in the real sense this is one of the worst abuse to the human life since such companies were just after profit making at the expense of human life. The activists have, therefore, forced these companies to change their policies by ensuring that anyone despite their conditions is eligible for any insurance cover, and this has been instrumental in enhancing equality.
The advocacy of genetic engineering would also be instrumental in ensuring that genetic discrimination is reduced. The fact behind this is that genetic engineering is a technology that helps in the detection of a particular medical problem early enough for the diagnosis and stoppage of complications that may occur in advance (Judson, 2001).
People would, therefore, be encouraged to take the genetic tests in advance since if a possible trait can be detected early enough then a possible solution would be made. An example given to this is the case of cancer since if it is detected early enough then diagnosing the disease is possible and; therefore, a patient portraying the traits of the disease can be treated without suffering from it. By curing such a disease then, the chance of an individual being discriminated upon basing on suffering from such a disease is eliminated in case of employment opportunities since some employers are biased (Judson, 2001). The individual is also lucky since traits that he or she may possess may not become disastrous in the future by becoming a life threatening disease, therefore, he or she lives a healthy life that is free from pain and as discussed above a good example of this would be the case of cancer.
The idea of universal health care is pivotal in ensuring that genetic discrimination does not exist since it will put in place incentives that ensure that judgments are not made based on someone's genetics. The incentives would, therefore, ensure that anyone can access health care despite any genetic mutation that a person may be suffering from. The medical practitioners would, therefore, ensure that they treat anyone who seeks medical help, therefore, ensuring that individuals are not discriminated upon basing on particular genes that they may possess. Medical care is crucial for those who may suffer from particular genetic disorders since denying them would be suicidal this, therefore, calls for the medical care to be affordable and in the reach of many since continued diagnosis may lead to cure and the individuals who suffer from the disorders may not be discriminated against. The government, therefore, becomes a serious stakeholder in the issue of ensuring that the medical care becomes accessible to all and affordable to them (Rothstein & Anderlik, 2001).
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) by the federal government has been important and instrumental in ensuring that the problem of genetic discrimination is curbed. The act's mandate was for individuals not to be discriminated against in both the employment and health sectors. The act provides for the employment discrimination provisions which state in part that employers are obliged not to discriminate based on certain genetic information in the terms of employment touching on the termination, hiring and compensation. The employers are also obliged not to classify or segregate an individual based on certain information concerning their genetics; therefore, such an individual should be given equal opportunities that are not different from the rest of the employees. According to the law the employers are required to keep any genetic information that they may have of a particular individual confidentially in order to ensure that no victimization follows.
The information should, therefore, not be released without the consent of that particular individual unless in certain circumstances such as a court order. There are also health insurance provisions according to the act whereby they are prohibited from the use of the information concerning the genetics of an individual in the restrictions concerning enrollment and in the adjustments of premiums. Through these provisions then the act becomes effective in that the employers and the health insurance providers are mandated by the law to adhere to them and by so doing then the issue of discrimination is reduced for the betterment of those who may suffer from certain genetic disorders and the society at large.
Other acts that have played a vital role in ensuring that people are not discriminated upon basing on certain genetic disorders include The Americans with Disabilities Act and The Affordable Care Act. The Americans with Disabilities Act entail the prohibition any form of discrimination ranging from public service to accommodation on those individuals who may suffer from any form of disability that may be as a result of a genetic disorder. The Affordable Care Act, on the other hand, stipulates that those who are mandated with offering insurance should provide it to all individuals despite their conditions that may request for it. People with genetic disorders, therefore, benefit from this since they are not discriminated upon since the law clearly states that they should also be respected.
The idea of further research would be useful in ensuring that genetic discrimination is minimized since new findings would be found concerning the different genetic disorders that would be in existence. The advancement in the genetic science has been pivotal in this since it ensures that opportunities which never existed have been found, and this would ensure medical progress.
The research would be important in discovering the causes of some mutations in the genes that would result to certain disorders in the body. The results the researchers would give room to the discovery of new treatment methods or the detection of certain traits early enough before they become hazardous to the human body. The advancement in the genetic science promises to do this since it ensures that critical analyses of the genetic disorders are carried out through various testing that would lead to a possible solution in the near future.
The problem of genetic discrimination would, therefore, be minimized since the disorders that exist of genetic mutation would be solved due to the discovery of new medicines that are resistant to such mutations. Since the disorders would be eliminated by the new medicines then the genetic discrimination would not be given room since a person who suffered from a certain genetic mutation would become normal, and this would be even helpful to his or her health. Some of the research that should be further undertaken include the curation of variants which involve the nomenclature system and ontology of the genes.
The selection of the genetic disease that is under test is done and then the genes are interlinked in order for a possible cure to be determined. In the curation process, the number of genes that are required is determined from the results and findings of the linkage analysis. Research, therefore, becomes crucial in ensuring that discrimination based on the genes are done away with since it provides a solution through cure.
The genetic counselors would also be helpful in ensuring that the problems of genetic discrimination and the fear of taking a genetic test are solved. Individuals' fear to take genetic tests may be based on the fact that they do not know what to do and how helpful the results would be if they decided to take them. The genetic counselors come in ensuring that they educate the patients before and after a genetic test has been carried out. The counselor may advise the patient on what to expect before a particular genetic test is carried out then the counselor may interrogate and make findings concerning a patient's history both personal and family in order to determine which tests ought to be carried.
They may also explain what entails the genetic mutation issue if an individual, for example, is prone to the risk of contracting the cardiovascular disease then the counselor's advice would be to seek help from those who have specialized in the heart in order for further findings to be made. If, on the other hand, another patient may be at risk of getting cancer then the options of the counselor may range from the advice of preventive treatments. Before the tests are carried out then the genetic counseling becomes important in ensuring that the trial and error method in medication is eliminated, and only amicable results can be used. After the tests have been carried out then the counselors can help the patient from undergoing depression after knowing that he or she suffers from a particular ailment since some ailments may be life threatening and this fact is known to the patient.
The counselors can also be instrumental in ensuring that campaigns are carried out with the aim of discouraging people from involving themselves in activities that lead to genetic discrimination. They can instill the idea that some disorders that are associated with a genetic mutation are beyond the control of the individual and that they can happen to anyone; therefore, today may be that individual you are rebuking but tomorrow it's going to be you. The genetic counselors should ensure that such a message reaches almost everyone, therefore, anyone thinking of discriminating an individual basing on certain genetic disorders will become cautious of his or her actions. It is worth to note that the genetic counseling is vital and crucial in today's society since it will synthesize people on the virtual of acceptance no matter what condition an individual may suffer from.
The resource of self-help is also important for all individuals since an individual may undertake personal research in order to address a certain personal problem that may be genetic based. The information needed is available from various sources such as the internet or people who may be around them concerning certain symptoms that they may show. This creates the notion of self-acceptance despite the condition that one may be in, and this prevents an individual from suffering from depression. Some genetic disorders are very traumatizing, and those who suffer from them need self-acceptance and the help of the society at large. Genetic discrimination would be curbed since people would become more understanding, and people would find it hard to discriminate such an individual. The employers should be advised and educated that genetic tests are not always right in determining the development of a certain disease or showing the severity symptoms of an individual. The fact above should, therefore, not be the basis why the employers should discriminate certain employees given their genetic traits
Since some people may use the genetic test information for some unintended purposes other than for medication purposes then stiffer, penalties and rules should be advocatedthe vice to be curbed. It would be useful in that the security of the genetic tests would be adhered to and respected since those who hold such information would have a fear of being victimized by facing the law. Such stringent laws would, therefore, maintain the integrity of both parties that are the physician and the patient by creating boundaries that would not be violated failure to which consequences would follow.
The patient's worst fear is that if certain crucial information concerning their health leaked then this would have adverse effects since this could change his or her life on a negative side. An example would be if a patient had traits of sickle cell anemia then if such information would get to the hands of certain employers then they would deny such a person a job despite him or her qualifying for it on the basis that he or she might contract such a disease in the future. Such information should, therefore, be well guarded since failure to this would put the livelihood of the patient at risk since him or her may be discriminated upon based on certain disorders. Some disorders cannot be changed since they are permanent; therefore, such information should be kept in secrecy.
In conclusion, the problem of genetic discrimination can be solved, therefore, the rights and freedoms of those people who may suffer from particular genetic disorders are respected, and they are not violated. The lives of such people are protected since their living is made easier by removing any stumbling blocks that may make their livelihood difficult since everyone irrespective of their condition has the right to life.