Gene Presents Moral And Ethical Dilemmas Essay - 1659 Words

Introduction: Huntington s chorea, commonly referred to as Huntington’s disease is an utterly devastating diagnosis for not only the patient affected directly with the disease but also for their biological children. Huntington’s disease is an inherited genetic disorder which causes the death of brain cells resulting in physical and mental abnormalities that worsen over time until certain death. As if that were not bad enough, the off spring of Huntington’s disease affected patients have a 50% chance of inheriting the gene. (Mayo Clinic, 2014) Genetic testing is the only way to diagnose this disease. (PubMed: Predictive testing, 1976) Testing positive for the gene presents moral and ethical dilemmas for those people. Early symptoms of the disease are usually subtle in presentation and are often misdiagnosed in the early stage of the disease. The symptomology includes alterations of personality, mood or mental capabilities. People affected by Huntington’s disease gradually exhibit a lack of coordination followed by an unsteady posture and gait resulting in the inability to even stand still. This behavior could mimic other diseases such as a stroke, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s disease. (Alz.org, 2016) As the disease progresses the physical effects on the body become more apparent and pronounced. This includes a decreased ability to walk or talk. Movements become jerky and uncoordinated making even the smallest tasks such as buttoning a shirt, nearly impossible. WhileShow MoreRelatedThe Field Of Reproductive Technology1484 Words   |  6 Pagesscience limitless potential (Finsterbusch, 2008). However, due to the exponential growth rate of this technology, ethical uncertainties and implications surrounding genetic and reproductive science is vast. Many individuals are for this emergence seeing genetic and reproductive science as a way to better humanity one human at a time. 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