Ethical challenges in offering expanded carrier screening in the context of third-party reproduction

The importance of screening gamete donors and recipients for genetic disorders in the context of third-party reproduction has been recognized for a long time. Recently, expanded carrier screening (ECS) for a large number of monogenic disorders has been made available. Although ECS offers considerable potential advantages, its widespread implementation is also associated with notable ethical challenges. This paper discusses some of the key ethical issues pertaining to ECS. The paper contrasts ECS in the context of third-party reproduction with ECS in the general population, highlighting several morally relevant differences between the two contexts. Owing to the unique characteristics of third-party reproduction, it is suggested that continued expansion of carrier screening to include mild disorders and variants of limited clinical significance could be less morally problematic when ECS is performed as part of third-party reproduction. However, the paper argues that this does not make ECS in third-party reproduction completely immune to ethical challenges, cautioning against several potential context-specific pitfalls. It is important that ethical issues pertaining to ECS in third-party reproduction receive adequate attention as we move towardsestablishing ECS as a new standard practice in this domain of reproductive medicine.

Jaar van publicatie:2018

Toegankelijkheid:Open