Genetics and Assisted Reproduction Survey

The Human Genome Project, an international endeavor begun in 1990 to decipher the entire human genome, has uncovered genes at a faster rate than ever expected. This new "genetic revolution" has raised many new questions about defining disease and the benefits and risks of mew medical technologies. With the advent of hundreds of new genetic tests which can tell us about our predisposition towards certain diseases, is more information really better?
 
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is one of the technologies which raises some very difficult religious, legal, and ethical questions. PGD combines in vitro fertilization technology which is used to create test tube babies, with genetic testing capabilities. With PGD a single cell is removed from the 8-cell embryo and tested for specific genetic disorders before the embyro is implanted in the mother. This allows couples who are at risk for specific disorders to insure the birth of a disorder-free baby without facing the prospect of terminating a pregnancy after amniocentesis of chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is performed after conception. You can find out more about PGD at ASRM site.
 
While over 90 babies have been born world-wide, this technology is far from accepted medical practice. Many question its current use as well as its potential use for testing embryos for non-fatal diseases and traits such as intelligence. Opinions from patients, physicians, researchers are varied and equally compelling.
 
I am interested in the public's views about this technology, and your opinions and responses to the following questions would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions about this survey, contact Stephanie Adamson.
1) Had you previously heard of preimplantation genetic diagnosis? yes no
 
2) Couples should be allowed to use PGD to screen embryos for:
early onset disorders which are not treatable (e.g. Tay-Sachs)
agree disagree don't know
late onset disorders which are not currently treatable (e.g. Huntington's Chorea)
agree disagree don't know
early onset, treatable diseases (e.g. cystic fibrosis)
agree disagree don't know
late onset, treatable diseases (e.g. diabetes)
agree disagree don't know
traits (e.g. hair color, eye color)
agree disagree don't know
sex selection for non-medical reasons
agree disagree don't know
sex selection for medical reasons (e.g. to avoid x-linked disorders which only affect males)
agree disagree don't know
3) Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis is a form of eugenics
agree disagree don't know
4) If I were at risk for conceiving a child with a genetic disorder, I would want the choice of using PGD.
agree disagree don't know
5) If I were at risk for conceiving a child with a genetic disorder, I would choose to use PGD
agree disagree don't know
6) A couple should be allowed to select FOR a genetic condition. (e.g. a deaf couple would like to select for a deaf child)
agree disagree don't know
 
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