Ethics 501

InInIN

Ethics 501

31 Aug 2011

Michael Evans

Introduction

Ethics

31 Aug 2011

Case

Michael Evans

Introduction

Workplace genetic testing is bound to become a real option for employers as genetic technology improves. Since some genetic traits are found more frequently in specific racial or ethnic groups, such discrimination could disproportionately affect these groups. In this paper I intend to will argue why American workers deserve federal legislation to protect them from genetic discrimination in the workplace.

Genetic Information and Discrimination

While genetic technology increases the ability to detect and prevent health disorders, it can also be misused to discriminate against or stigmatize individuals. A 1996 survey of individuals at risk of developing a genetic condition and parents of children with specific genetic conditions identified more than 200 cases of genetic discrimination among the 917 people who responded. The cases involved discrimination by insurance companies, employers, and other organizations that use genetic information. Another recent survey of genetic counselors, primary care physicians, and patients, identified 550 people who had been denied employment or insurance based on their genetic predisposition to an illness. In addition, because an individual's genetic information has implications for his or her family members and future generations, misuse of genetic information could have intergenerational effects that are far broader than any individual incident of misuse.

Many Americans are reluctant to take advantage of new breakthroughs in genetic testing for fear that the results will not be used to improve their health but rather to deny them jobs or health insurance. Two types of genetic testing can occur in the workplace: genetic screening and genetic monitoring. In the early 1970s employers used genetic screening to identify African Americans who carried a gene mutation...