'Non-invasive prenatal genetic testing - a moral maze?'
Event: ESRC Festival of Social ScienceDate: 16 Mar 2010 19:00
Organised by: The ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society (Egenis)
Venue: Exeter Central Library
The Egenis contribution to the ESRC Festival of Social Science will be a public meeting, 'Non-invasive prenatal genetic testing - a moral maze?' This will be a ‘Moral Maze’-type discussion of the issues surrounding the development of non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnosis (NIPD). Recent advances mean that it is becoming possible to screen for a limited variety of genetic conditions through normal blood testing, avoiding the need for risky procedures such as amniocentesis. More expansive prenatal tests, for example, testing for conditions like Down Syndrome, or pre-disposition to disease, are on the horizon. How much do members of the public know about these emerging testing procedures and what do they think? Are the tests viewed as a quicker and easier way to identify genetic disorders before birth, or the thin end of the wedge in a culture that desires 'perfect' babies? Will NIPD improve reproductive health care, or turn all pregnancies into a moral maze? Is NIPD a social good, or a social harm?
Speakers, or 'witnesses', will include Helen Wallace, director of GeneWatch UK, Jane Fisher, director of the charity ARC (Antenatal Results and Choices), and Susan Kelly and Hannah Farrimond of Egenis. The event, which will be free and open to all, will be held at Exeter Central Library at 7.00pm on Tuesday, 16 March 2010.
The ESRC Festival of Social Science is an annual week long programme of
events held across the UK designed to communicate information about the
social sciences and how social science impacts on our lives.
Further details: Please contact the Egenis Communications Officer: Claire Packman on c.h.packman@ex.ac.uk or on 01392 269126.
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