Eugenics and enhancement in contemporary genomics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

The year 1989 marked not only the fall of the Berlin Wall, but also the birth of the first test-tube baby selected with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD allows the screening of early embryos before implantation, and its first use marked the beginning of what, following geneticist Lee Silver (1997), we refer to as ‘reprogenetics’, or the use of genetic technologies in the context of reproduction to select what kind of children to bring into the world. In this chapter we draw on three examples – PGD, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and CRISPR genome editing technologies – to provide an overview of the discussion of reprogenetics at the intersection of enhancement and eugenics.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationRoutledge Handbook of Genomics, Health and Society
PublisherRoutledge
Pages195
Number of pages202
ISBN (Print)9781138211957
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 19 Jan 2018

Publication series

NameRoutledge International Handbooks
PublisherRoutledge

Keywords

  • genomics
  • eugenics
  • reproductive ethics
  • bioethics
  • human embryos
  • genetics
  • reproduction
  • prenatal screening
  • genome editing
  • enhancement
  • CRISPR

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