The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist 2008;10:1:49-54
doi: 10.1576/toag.10.1.049.27378
Copyright © 2008 by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
The ethics of preimplantation genetic diagnosis
Tarek El-Toukhy, MD MRCOG, Subspecialty Registrar in Reproductive Medicine1,
Clare Williams, PhD, Professor of Social Science of Biomedicine2 and
Peter Braude, PhD FRCOG, Director of PGD Programme3
1. Centre for Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 9RT, UK Email: tarekeltoukhy{at}hotmail.com (corresponding author)
2. Centre for Biomedicine and Society, School of Social Science and Public Policy, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
3. Centre for Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 9RT; and Department of Women's Health, Division of Reproduction and Endocrinology, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
Key content:
- Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is an alternative to prenatal diagnosis and termination of affected pregnancies.
- PGD for late-onset and susceptibility conditions requires careful consideration on a case-by-case basis.
- PGD for sex selection for nonmedical reasons is prohibited in the UK.
- The use of PGD is expanding and its ethical implications are likely to increase.
Learning objectives:
- To recognise the main ethical difficulties raised by the practice of PGD.
- To understand the role of regulation.
- To appreciate the potential ethical implications of new developments in reproductive genetics.
Ethical issues:
- Is PGD more acceptable than prenatal diagnosis and termination for all disorders?
- Should PGD be offered for Huntington disease on a nondisclosure basis?
- Should noncarrier embryos be replaced in preference to carrier embryos in recessive conditions?
- Is PGD for HLA typing a step too far?
Please cite this article as: El-Toukhy T, Williams C, Braude P. The ethics of preimplantation genetic diagnosis. The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist 2008;10:49–54.
Keywords ethics / HLA typing / Huntington disease / preimplantation genetic diagnosis / prenatal diagnosis
Copyright © 2008 by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.