|
|||||||
|
 |
Genetic discrimination is defined as the differential treatment, either in a positive or a negative way, of an individual on the basis of what is known or assumed about his or her genetic makeup. A person’s genetic makeup or status can be known, or assumed, on the basis of a family history of a genetic condition or disorder, or a genetic test for that condition or disorder. In recent years, there have been growing concerns about alleged practices of such discrimination in Australia and overseas. As a result, there have been calls for new government legislation to deal with the ethical dilemmas emerging out of the new genetic technologies. The differential treatment of individuals on the basis of what is assumed or known about his or her genetic makeup can either be to the individual’s advantage or disadvantage. The focus of many of the concerns raised have been largely upon the latter. It was not the intention of the Genetic Discrimination Project however, to compile a list of discriminatory transgressions or transgressors, but rather to provide an accurate account of the extent and the type of genetic information being used, the justifications for its use and the outcomes, both positive and negative, for all parties concerned. The Genetic Discrimination Project comprised
four sub-projects.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
