The Concept of Genetic Privacy Essays

The Concept of Genetic Privacy Essays The Concept of Genetic Privacy Paper The Concept of Genetic Privacy Paper Genetic information is unique. It tells not only about an individual, but also about an individuals family. Unlike medical information, genetic information does not change over time. Genetic information is more than health information; it also reveals our heritage and connections to relatives and communities. Where does genetic information belong in our scale of respect for and protection of personal privacy? What level of privacy restrictions, if any, should be put on genetic information? Some genetic information, such as the color of our hair and skin, is obvious and cannot be kept secret. But what about that genetic information which is less apparent to others, such as our risk for developing a health disorder late in life? Who should be able to have access to this information? Privacy rules set limits on who can access genetic information, and how they may do so. The concept of genetic privacy is split into three primary elements: genetic information as private, confidentiality of genetic information, and the possible use of genetic information to discriminate against individuals or groups. The reason why I am dividing genetic privacy into these three elements is because they are the key essentials that can be debated for or against privacy. In this paper, I will discuss the debates for and against genetic privacy. I will present my position on these debates providing my argument against genetic privacy, respond with how someone may reply to the position advocated, and finally conclude with my belief that setting restrictions on genetic privacy is very difficult and impossible with the issue of discrimination while still taking into consideration of the other side of the argument. Genetic information being kept private can be seen as possible or impossible. Without federal laws to protect the privacy of patients and the confidentiality of medical records, efforts to reform the nations health care system will not be completely successful. Laws will protect an individual’s private information and if they did not exist, rights may be violated. How would that benefit the society? Information about genes will most likely be kept in a medical or medical research location. â€Å"In a typical hospital, at least eighty people have access to medical records† (Lebacqz 243). Therefore, if genetic information is included in a person’s medical record, it would mean that a wide range of people would have access to this private information. Privacy of genetic information or of medical records may not be as possible without legal protections. There are very few federal legal protections and unreliable state protections for medical records to protect privacy. Federal restrictions should be placed on the access to all medical records prior to the further improvement of genetic science. By making laws that will define the responsibilities (ethical and legal) of those with justifiable authorization to access personal medical information, privacy will be maintained. Medical and genetic information posses a greater possibility of being kept private because of the already existing promise made by health care providers to ensure doctor/patient confidentiality. If legal protections are made, the privacy of genetic information would be more possible, but could confidentiality exist? Confidentiality is a major debate in genetic privacy. If people are going to adventure through genetic screening, insurance will become a big issue in keeping the genetic information private. Should genetic information be kept confidential and not be shown to insurance companies? If insurance companies are allowed access to this information, many people may not be able to afford it. â€Å"Genetic test results may be used by commercial insurers for the purpose of risk classification and the calibrating of premiums to risk status, especially in connection with the issuance of individual health insurance policies,† (Peters 214). By using this quote, I am backing up my point that people with genetic diseases will automatically be put into risk classification and agents will change them to high-risk which will be unfair to the individuals. As premiums rise to cover the unhealthy clients, fewer and fewer people will be able to afford insurance. These genetic tests may lead to an increase in the number of individuals on high-risk insurance and also contributing to the increase in people who lack insurance. By restricting health insurance and holding genetic information extremely confidential during the growth of genetic research, people will be able to obtain adequate health insurance and will not be deprived of their rights to privacy without regards to their genetic background. Genetic research is expanding in great ways in hopes to perfect society. While these breakthroughs hold great promise for improving medical treatments, they also present the issue of discrimination. Every human being is more than likely carrying at least one flawed gene. So consequently, every man, woman, and child in the world is a potential victim of discrimination. It is unfair to discriminate against someone because of genetic characteristics that do or do not limit his or her abilities. An example based on genetic information would be as follows: if an employer was able to find out anyone’s genetic background, and then avoid hiring workers they believe are likely to take sick leave, resign, or retire early for health reasons. The big issue with this is that the employers are just hypothesizing without giving the benefit of the doubt. Employers should be prohibited from requesting or requiring genetic information. An employee may have the background of a genetic disease and be discriminated against it when they may not even carry the disease. Would that be fair? If employers gain access to this information, many qualified individuals will be left without jobs, which may even turn around and hurt the employer more. By limiting an employer’s ability to see individual employee medical records, discrimination can be lessened, however, not completely avoided. In response to these different viewpoints, my position is fairly easy to understand. Using all of the information that I have read and researched about, I do not think that it is fully possible to restrict all genetic information from being freely available. Genetic information is a difficult aspect to maintain completely private. Medical records are a good example to use as a foundation of my argument. Health insurance companies obtain permission to see medical records. If genetic information is placed on these records, people will have a difficult time getting decent premiums if they have a background of genetic problems in their family. People who have a low income will have a less advantage of getting the best insurance. That is where discrimination evolves into a large predicament. Discrimination will always be a problem. Some restrictions may be made to protect genetic privacy, but not all-genetic information will be kept completely private. Take employment as an example. A person shouldn’t be forced to give permission for employers to see their genetic information. Business and profit rights should not proceed human rights. Every person should have the right to get a good job, regardless of his or her genetic makeup. The choice of publicly displaying a person’s genetic information should be decided by the individual. It should not be used for reason of hiring or raise. If the person is qualified for the job, then he or she should have the right to the job without the issue of discrimination. Privacy and confidentiality may hold a point, but it does not protect people against discrimination. Not all information can be kept private because science will not be able to advance. If scientists and doctors do not share their information, science will not progress. Every new discovery is shared with others and that is how it becomes known and critiqued. Without the advancement of science, we would not be where we are today with genetics. If a person has Huntington’s disease in their genetic background, scientists will research and use that to help them move forward to find a way to help that person and the people of further generations. If there are laws designed to protect genetic test results in an effort to prevent genetic discrimination, it may make it more difficult to gather the sort of data that will help researchers solve genetic problems. Privacy may possibly postpone or stop the advancement of genetics. Someone may respond to my position advocated by saying human rights are very important when it comes to genetics. By making genetic information private, it will be kept from getting into the wrong hands and will not be used to discriminate. Genetic information can be used to discover personal traits of an individuals life. That information can be used to invade a persons private life, to alter a persons sense of self, and family identity. Genomic information can also affect families and ethnic groups that share genetic similarities. If people are truly seeking protection from discrimination by using the principles of confidentiality and privacy, then genetic information can be controlled. The rights of the individual for employment, insurance, and medical care can then be protected. Genetic privacy is a very difficult discussion because of its uniqueness. I have stated my response to genetic privacy, and through all of the research I have done, I still stand on the point that discrimination will always be a problem and human rights will always be violated due to our conventionally corrupt society. Through time, laws and regulations will be revised to protect the human rights, but as genetic privacy grows, privacy will become more and more difficult to be instilled in the health care profession.