Genetic screening and treatment provide medical advancements to various field, but also raise many ethical concerns. The videos highlight issues of predictive genetic testing, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), gene therapy for severe conditions. One major ethical dilemma is the psychological burden of knowing the genetic risks, problem of invasion of the privacy of the tester, and risk of changing life. For example, video 2 discusses PGD technology, which screens the embryo for the host of disease, but it can also detect traits such as gender, height, intelligence. The ability to select embryos based on non-medical traits, such as gender, intelligence, or appearance, could lead to a new form of eugenics, enhancing social inequalities and biases about the desirable" trait. Also, in video 1, the tester test positive for BRCA1, which is a mutation linked to a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The individual face difficult decisions between having a child or undergoing preventive surgeries but have to remove the ovaries. While early intervention may save lives, the knowledge of a predisposition to disease can cause emotional distress, affecting their life choices. Sometimes the cost of knowing genetic destiny can outweigh benefits.
To address these ethical concerns, genetic screening and treatments should be carefully regulated to prevent misuse and ensure equitable access. The genetic testing should be voluntary, and should only be used as medical purposes, preventing its expansion into other fields causing privacy concerns. Strict policies should be in place to prevent genetic discrimination by employers and insurance companies.