The Human Genome Project, designed to produce personal gene maps representing the entire human genome, raises many ethical, moral, and social issues. Specific information about an individual's future health lies encoded within an individual's genome. While this can serve extremely beneficial purposes by informing individuals in advance so that they may undergo therapeutic or preventive intervention to reduce the effects of impending health problems, it also presents a few significant dangers. Knowledge of potential personal difficulty may lead to increased anxiety and worry, as well as expose individuals to some types of discrimination. The highly sensitive nature of these probable and personal predictions has led to much debate over issues such as required genetic testing and availability and privacy of results.

It is obvious how dangerous the availability of personal genetic information to employers, insurance companies, and the government would be. The exposure of genetic defects within individual genomes could lead to harsh discrimination against those perceived as genetically inferior. We have already witnessed in this century the potential of government to practice a sort of genetic genocide - the systematic extermination of anyone deemed genetically "unfit" or defective by the Germans in World War 2. Additionally, insurance companies would surely refuse to cover individuals with potential future risks of expensive conditions like heart disease and cancer. Employers would also be hesitant to hire persons who appear to be at risk of diseases that might lead to the impairment of job performance. Anyone with possible genetic "problems" could eventually have an extremely difficult time getting a job, receiving health insurance, and even being accepted by society.

Because an individual's genome provides extremely personal information, not only regarding many aspects of one's private life, but also of one's family, including parents and children, it is my opinion that genetic information should be regarded as personal and private property of the individual, not to be violated by anyone. The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to be "secure in their persons," which can be interpreted as a right to privacy. Doctors are required to keep test results, such as HIV or pregnancy tests, entirely confidential between themselves and patients, and are not permitted to share this information with insurance companies or other interested parties without the consent of the patient. The same policy should exist for genetic test results, as they are private insights into an individual's health. Additionally, as employers are not permitted to ask questions regarding race, sexual preference, etc. on applications, they should neither be able to access information regarding an applicant's genetic predispositions.

The Constitution also continues that persons are protected "...against unreasonable searches and seizures." Any requirement of genetic testing - a search for defects or potential problems - would clearly be violating one of our basic rights. No one, including the government or a physician's malpractice insurer, should have the power to require the performance of any procedure on a patient against his/her will. (In the case of minors, including newborns, the parents or guardians should speak for the patient.) While doctors have the responsibility to inform patients of their option to have the tests done and the potential benefits of genetic knowledge, the final decision to undergo testing should be left up to the patient.

In addition to the responsibilities of deciding whether to undergo testing and what to do with the information is the responsibility of the patient to pay for the testing. Anyone else who paid for the tests could claim partial legal "ownership" of the results, and therefore expect to be allowed to review them. Insurance companies would argue that it is in their best interests to pay for the testing, so that they may gain access to the results, but we have already seen some possible dangerous results of this breach of privacy. It is for exactly that reason why I believe it is safer for the patient to pay for the testing - so that he/she may retain all rights and access to the information revealed in the results, and protect the individual privacy that is so important in this issue.

The information contained in an individual's genome is of a special and sensitive nature. It can reveal much about the person's future health condition, as well as information about that person's family. The special nature of this information requires extra care to ensure confidentiality and protection of a person's private genetic information, and I believe that it is necessary to develop certain procedural guidelines and privacy rules to secure an individual's personal health information. Genetic information is the private property of the person, and should not be tested or revealed without the authorization of that person. Additionally, doctors should inform their patients about potential benefits of genetic testing, so that patients who wish to gain insights into their medical future can do so. It is important to present genetic testing as a service to patients, which they may freely elect to obtain, and not as a mandated or required procedure which individuals are forced to undergo.