Some Canadians suffering ‘genetic discrimination’

June 9 2009

With medical advances, Canadians can now learn whether they carry the genetic risk for devastating diseases. But that knowledge could come at a price, suggests a study that looked at the growth of “genetic discrimination.”

 

Genetic Discrimination- A Double Edged Sword

 March 27 2009

The brave new world of genetic screening to identify any genetic predisposition to particular diseases has opened a Pandora’s box in the realms of equality, human rights and social justice to name a few. Geller et al have defined genetic discrimination as the differential treatment of individuals or their relatives on the grounds of actual or presumed hereditary differences.

 

Genetic testing – human rights nightmare or useful recruitment information?

March 17, 2009

There is also potential for this to be used in the employment field. HumGen a website which contains information on the ethical, legal, and social issues of human genetics, points out that a genetic condition could make it more difficult to carry out certain tasks, could require treatments that cause a prolonged absence from work, or could cause an employee to become disabled before retirement.

  

Why your genes may come at a premium

March 11, 2009

Life insurance is a product that depends on both parties to the contract maintaining a certain degree of ignorance. If individuals knew their exact chances of contracting cancer or heart disease, for example, were very low, then they might not be in a big hurry to take out an all-encompassing life insurance policy.

  

Research finds evidence of genetic discrimination

Mar 10, 2009

New Australian research has found evidence of discrimination against people on the basis of genetics.

The five-year Genetic Discrimination Project surveyed more than 1,000 people who had had genetic testing done, with about 10 per cent experiencing some form of discrimination.

 

Genetic discrimination: Something to be frightened of?

Nov. 1, 2008

There are many things that might frighten you about genetics — the complexity of it, your psychological reaction to a genetic diagnosis, how to explain a result to your family members, and most often reported, the possibility of genetic discrimination.

 

Our genes offer the best insurance

June 19, 2008

There is no perfect genome, so few of us need fear the results of DNA testing

 

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