Prenatal Testing - Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues

Question 1

What are the two values concerning reproductive technologies that could come into conflict with each other?

Answer 1

Reproductive autonomy and inclusiveness and rights of individuals with disabilities or diseases

Question 2

Does Canada have any laws restricting access to abortions?

Answer 2

No. It is viewed as none of the judicial system’s business and only a decision to be made between a woman and her healthcare provider

Question 3

How much does the UK regulate assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 3

Heavily regulated. Comprehensive legislation exists for who can provide prenatal tests and who can get them and when

Question 4

Are the clinics that perform prenatal tests regulated in the UK?

Answer 4

They have to be licensed. They need licenses to carry out certain tests and certain combinations of tests

Question 5

Is social sex selection of an embryo allowed in the UK?

Answer 5

No, it is illegal

Question 6

How much does Canada regulate assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 6

Not a lot, but there still is a bit of legislation

Question 7

Are the clinics that perform prenatal tests regulated in Canada?

Answer 7

Not by legislation. Healthcare services have conduct rules that doctors follow but there is no federal agency anymore that monitors the clinics

Question 8

Is social sex selection of an embryo allowed in Canada?

Answer 8

No, illegal as in the UK

Question 9

Why did the board overseeing the fertility clinics in Canada get shut down?

Answer 9

Quebec took the legislation to court for infringing on provincial autonomy. The law was never implemented and it was too expensive to maintain

Question 10

What legislation regulating reproductive technologies still exists in Canada?

Answer 10

Commercial trade of eggs, sperm, and surrogacy services is prohibited. Human cloning that ultimately includes gene editing is also prohibited

Question 11

How much the US regulate assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 11

Very little to nothing. Anything goes, basically the “wild west”

Question 12

What prenatal tests can be done in the US?

Answer 12

Anything the patient wants as long as they can pay for it

Question 13

Does the US allow social sex selection of an embryo?

Answer 13

Yes if you can pay for it

Question 14

What are the 4 ways prenatal testing can create challenges for informed consent?

Answer 14

1. Pressure to participate in routine procedures
2. Lack of relevant info and consistency
3. Directive communication of info
4. Ableism

Question 15

Why might pressure to participate in routine procedures compromise informed consent?

Answer 15

An individual might not get the information about which tests are screening for genetic conditions and which ones are for other stuff. It can be hard for an individual to question the necessity of routine tests or say no

Question 16

Why might lack of relevant infor compromise informed consent?

Answer 16

Especially for tests that don’t have a lot of risks, info and outcomes of the test might not be given in enough detail

Question 17

Why might directive communication of the info compromise informed consent?

Answer 17

No guidelines exist for what information needs to be presented, so information received can vary from healthcare provider to healthcare provider

Question 18

Why might ableism compromise informed consent?

Answer 18

Stereotypes about disabled people can pressure a woman to terminate the pregnancy if an aneuploidy is detected, pressured to think the worst thing to do would be to bring that child into the world

Question 19

Why can informed consent for non-invasive prenatal testing get a bit lax?

Answer 19

Less risks associated with the test, and it is highly accurate and can be seen as routine

Question 20

Is non-invasive prenatal testing covered by Alberta health care?

Answer 20

No, so it creates an inequity of access based on who has that money

Question 21

How can prenatal testing and PGD promote a consumerist attitude towards babies?

Answer 21

By enabling the parents to select an embryo based on desired traits and sex, so these children come into the world with all these expectations

Question 22

What is the social model of disability?

Answer 22

The condition itself isn’t what is disabling, but living in a society that doesn’t accommodate is what is disabling

Question 23

What is the medical model of disability?

Answer 23

Disability is a problem that needs to be fixed