2. Genetic Testing Why? For what? When? How?

3. Why? To ease pain and suffering To save lives Decisions made after results-when you test

5. Traits <>Genes What are traits? What are positive traits-things you’d like to see in potential offspring What are negative traits-things you’d like NOT to see in potential offspring

6. When test? What do if negative result? Carriers-mom and dad Preimplantation stage embryo Embryo/fetus Newborn BirthEmbryo

7. How?Tests Non-invasive –Ultrasound –blood Invasive –Amnioscentisis –Chorionic villus sampling –Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

8. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis: PGD Requires in vitro/assisted reproductive technology

9. What to measure in sample? Chromosomes Protein/enzyme levels DNA-sequence

10. Once you have tested embryos Determine which carry mutation-discard Use only the ones that are wild type

11. Photo by Michael Mazolla

13. After ‘Apple’ Empathy exercise Spectrum –Would you test to find out sex of child –Would you use information to choose the sex of a child –Would you test for a genetic disease that runs in your family-what would influence this decision

14. Why test/why not test? To ease pain and suffering To save lives Not so clear/who decides what to test for? What action to take?

15. Argument against prenatal testing from the disabled community: Suggests the lives of the disabled are not worth living Should we test? For what?

16. Countering such arguments: 1. Prenatal screening expresses a hurtful message to those who live with disabilities. The reasons that people do prenatal testing and screening vary. No message is being sent. There are lots of things that people do for their own reasons that some may disagree with or find problematic, but these decisions and actions are not about them or sending messages to them. 2. If screening leads to a decision not to bring the disabled child into existence, then the message is that a person who has a disability is unworthy of being born. Person Subject-of-a-life Birth Viability Fetus Embryo Zygote-implantation Egg But this confuses an already existing person with something that doesn’t exist.