georgeskohler Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 I'm sorry if this has been discussed in another thread: I was inspired by a lecture by the great Dr. Robert Weinberg (available online) to ask, given that science has advanced to the point that it is feasible to obtain the genetic profile for any given individual, what will be the most appropriate way to handle an individual's genetic information in the near future. For example, does an employer have the right to know if a job candidate has a particular genetic mutation which in some way might affect his/her ability to perform the job required of them (for instance, a mutation associated with increased susceptibility for a particular cancer)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mokele Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 It should be utterly private, just as all medical data is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeskohler Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 oh wow, I did not see the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act before... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Skeptic Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 I suspect that in our lifetimes it will become public knowledge, or at least open to the government, medical research (with other medical data, but anonymized), etc. However for now it is treated under the right to medical privacy and doctor-patient confidentiality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharonY Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 As Mokele said. Also research on genetic data from individuals fall under general ethical guidelines for human research subject which are aimed to protect the research participants. It is, for instance necessary to anonymize genetical data so that it is impossible to track back the respective individual from which individual the sample came from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now