Genetic Privacy and Discrimination in Australia
Australia (along with most other countries) still lags behind when it comes to establishing regulations on how personal genetic information may be used. Under Australian law, not only can insurers refuse to cover someone with a genetic disorder, it is also not illegal to give DNA testing information to a potential employer, researchers, relatives, or just about anyone.
Thus far, the Australian government has allocated $7.6 million over four years to establish an advisory body on human genetics. The Human Genetics Advisory Committee is expected begin its work in 2006.
Australian Law reform Commission president David Weisbrot says this can occur because there are enormous “gaps and shortfalls” in the legal protections on personal genetic information. He points to a patchwork of federal, state and territory laws, guidelines and practices, many of which overlap while leaving gaping holes through which sensitive genetic details may leak out.
As technology improves, it is becoming easier and less costly to obtain personal DNA data. If credit card fraud and identity theft aren’t teaching us how to better protect ourselves, we’re in for a lot more trouble when DNA information is part of everyone’s medical records.
The Australian, September 12, 2005
For more information, see Australia’s Law Reform Commission’s 2003 report, Essentially Yours: The Protection of Human Genetic Information in Australia. And in the U.S., see the Human Genome Project’s Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues web page.
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POSTED IN: Genetics: Legislation, Policies, Ethics, Law
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