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As gene technology improves, so does prospect for discrimination
October 24, 1996
Web posted at: 11:15 p.m. EDTFrom Correspondent Jeff Levine
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A new study in the magazine Science shows that nearly half of a sample of 300 people who experienced a genetic problem have faced discrimination because of it.
A case in point is Larry Allen, who said he lost his job and therefore his insurance partly because of medical bills associated with his children's sickle-cell disease.
"We all have a genetic flaw or defect, and at some point ... you're going to end up in the same category," said Allen.
"I think as a society we just need to address this gap between this wonderful science that's going on and how to deal with it," said Virginia Lapham of Georgetown University.
For instance, scientists recently posted a computerized version of what's known as "the human genome" on the Internet. It has detailed information on about 16,000 genes, about 20 percent of the total number.
The project, which is accessible to the public, "could take two or three years off the process of finding a disease gene," said Donald Lindberg of the National Library of Medicine.
But as the potential to treat disease increases dramatically, so does the likelihood of genetic discrimination.
Momentum is growing for federal protection of an individual's genetic privacy. "With a little more effort we can, with a certain amount of national will, solve this problem and make it clear that people's DNA is not to be used against them," said Dr. Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health.
A spokesman for the Health Insurance Association of America says it doesn't require genetic testing. But the industry does want information about a person's health, which could affect the cost of coverage for individual policies.
Related sites:
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- Gene Map of the Human Genome
- Science Online
- Center for Inherited Disorders
- Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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