| Abstract |
Progress in biomedical and genetic technology now offers the possibility for
screening the embryo since the earliest stages of development, largely before the
moment of birth. The development of this methodology allowed the discovery of
numerous physiological and genetic characteristics of the fetus. Thus, it is possible
to diagnose a variety of genetic or developmental causes which are responsible for
many serious diseases. For example, both prenatal and preimplantation diagnosis
give information about the condition of the embryo, offering in the candidate
parents some potential 'choices': either continue with an ongoing pregnancy, or
proceed to embryo selection by PGD in order to increase the chance of giving birth
to a "healthy" person, or decide to terminate pregnancy if the fetus is predisposed to
serious diseases.
The following work deals with the ethical and social issues arising from the
widespread use of PGD, with the aim of broadening and understanding them.
The utilization of the resources offered by modern technology, to prevent pain or
distress, or even a person's exposure to social prejudices, is imposed by the respect
for human dignity. However, the application of these methods raises a serious moral
dilemma: are we eligible to 'prevent' the birth of children with such severe disease,
interrupting a pregnancy or by blocking the transfer of embryos in the womb?
Moreover, if the answer is yes, which of these choices are morally justifiable and
what are precisely the limits of this application?
The first chapter of this work sets out the scientific data of the whole
discussion. Upon introduction of the process of preimplantation diagnosis, and
discussion of the techniques and diagnostic methods used, the benefits and goals of
the technique as well as the groups of who profit of PGD are being considered.
Moreover, in an attempt to prove that people with disabilities do not constitute
medical but rather a social problem, I refer to some genetic syndromes focusing on
the characteristics and lifestyles of people, who are born with genetic problems.
In the second chapter, the sociological approach is presented. The diachronic
course of the concepts of 'health' and disease ', reveals that there is no consensus on
what it characterized as healthy or ill. In traditional societies, these
[5]
concepts are interrelated with the concepts of risk and religious purity, while the
modernization of these concepts provides safer examples, attributed to scientific
causes. In the same context, the history of disability is described, which is shown to
be responsible for the involvement of scientists in the field of reproduction. The
sociological survey shows the complexity of managing embryos during PGD and the
special relationship developing between the candidate parents and the medical staff.
The labeling of the issue of autonomy and socialization of individual, combined with
the cultural and institutional background and specialized medical information, are
the main issues that will be discussed in this chapter.
The use of genetic knowledge in order to improve the living standards of
humanity and the selection of the embryo, involve important consequences on
the lives of people with disabilities, such as discriminatory tendencies and social
isolation. However, these people can live a decent life and is morally wrong to focus
only on their defects. Thus, according to the sociological research, disability is not
related to illness of the individual, but instead is entirely due to the behavior and
attitude of society towards people with disabilities. This proposal is the main place of
the social model of disability and therefore, it constitutes a critical duty of society
and the State to ensure, specifically to these people, a decent life in an environment
of freedom and equality.
The third chapter analyzes the ethical concerns arising from the application
of methods of prenatal diagnosis which are related with two important issues:
the selection of embryos and the value of human life. Specifically, PGD and its
applications bring bioethical dilemmas when they violate the regulatory
commitment to respect the intrinsic value of human life, irrespective of the form or
the stage of the embryo. Therefore, many questions arise as to the definition of a
person, the existence of dignity in a human being and the selection between two
possible lives: a “normal” one or an “abnormal”. These dilemmas were analyzed
through two major philosophical theories, the deontological theory and the
utilitarianism theory. The normative commitment that is presented in the moral
theory of Kant, suggests that only rational beings have dignity. But what is true for
[6]
people living with some form of disability, especially if it affects the person's mental
state?
Therefore, the main points of Kant’s Categorical Imperative are discussed here,
while at the same time the theory of Kittay is described, as an alternative approach
stating that the rational capacity does not constitute a necessary prerequisite for
dignity in a human being. Moreover, the theory of utilitarianism focuses mainly on
the consequences arising from the application of the method.
Briefly, the refusal of a fetus, as a possibility faced by candidate parents after
being submitted to prenatal or preimplantation diagnosis, is a reality. Therefore, the
following work describes the need for moral foundation of new biotechnology
applications, without rejecting the inherent desire of parents for healthy offspring.
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