Essay on The Positive and Negative Effects of Dna Profiling

Words: 2642
Pages: 11

The Positive And Negative Effects of DNA Profiling

Justin Broyles Apr. 12, 1995 Justice Theory Lance Miller

Genetic engineering has developed and blossomed at a frightening rate in the last decade. Originating as merely an area of interest for scientists, genetic engineering has now become an area of which all people should be somewhat knowledgeable. DNA profiling has many uses, both positive and negative, in our society.
Aside from its usefulness in many legal investigations, DNA profiling can be used in the workplace to discriminate against employees whose profiles could pose a financial risk. For example, genetic technology can and has been used to determine the capacity of a person to contract certain diseases, such as
…show more content…
Such unpredictability, certainly, is a violation of people's rights to privacy.
For instance, if a private institution, such as a bank, an employer, or an insurance company, receives access to this information, it could influence decisions on loans, hiring practices, insurance rates, etc. Society, then, is faced with a conflict between an individual's right to privacy in one's genetic composition and the employer's or insurance company's interest in knowing about a person's health problems. This conflict will constitute the remainder of this paper. Over the next ten to fifteen years, scientists involved in the federal government's "human genome project" will try to identify in detail each of the human cell's estimated 100,000 genes. The knowledge derived from the project will enable physicians to detect an increasing number of diseases and predispositions for diseases.

When Frank married at age 31, he decided to take out a life insurance policy. A swimmer and avid racquetball player with no previous hospitalizations, he felt certain his low premiums would be a worthy investment for his family. Weeks later, after a routine physical exam, he was shocked by the insurance company's response. Sophisticated DNA testing had revealed in
Frank's tissues a