
There many other genetic tests available now that can determine identity and paternity. When the Human Genome Project is completed, scientists predict that a battery of tests will be available to determine what diseases and characteristics a person is prone to. But as with any new knowledge, we must determine what people have access to what information, and how that information can be used.
Identity Test
Currently, DNA testing can
be used to match
one genetic sample to another. This is being used in many court
cases to prove that a person was at a scene where his DNA was picked up
in the form of a hair, blood, or skin samples. However, the police
cannot just look at some DNA and know whose it is; they must have a suspect,
get a DNA sample from him, and attempt a match. Without a suspect,
there is no way to figure out whose DNA was at the scene.
Many people believe that
crimes could be solved much more quickly and efficiently if there was a
national database containing DNA samples from each person. Of course,
the entire DNA strand would not be needed -- just the pieces usually used
for testing. But should the government really have access to everyone's
DNA samples?
Full Workup
Scientists hope that in
the near future, testing will be available that will determine immunity
or succeptibility to disease, whether the patient will have side effects
to certain drugs, whether he might develop a terminal illness, or even
what his basic intelligence potential is. That's a lot of information,
and a good bit of it could be damaging in the wrong hands. But whose
hands are the wrong hands? This full genetic workup leads to many,
many questions. For instance, should this test be done at birth or
only on demand? Should insurance companies allowed to see your disease
succeptibilities? Can they charge you more if you are succeptible
to an expensive disorder? Should drugs be allowed on the market that
can be very harmful to some but not to others, provided that the recipient
is tested to make sure the drug is safe for him? If a person will
likely develop a terminal illness, should the doctor tell him, or just
decide that ignorance is bliss and let him find out twenty, thirty, even
fifty years down the road? Can an employer discriminate based on
basic intelligence? These questions only scratch the surface of what
may come.
In addition, if access to
a product is restricted, a black market usually springs up. What
should the penalty be for trying to gain access to another person's genetic
information?
Core Issue
The core issue brought up
by genetic testing is this -- is a person bound to a genetic future, or
is man more than the outcome of his genes? Is genetic tendency immutable?
Can a little strand of chemicals really determine the outcome of our entire
lives?