Bad Advice on Genetics
Today’s been a bad day and it’s only 11:40 in the morning where I am. Seeing this (hopefully tongue-in-cheek) advice column by Steve and Mia didn’t cheer me up any.
A woman wrote in to ask if she should be worried that her boyfriend has a family history of schizophrenia. Will he develop mental illness and could their hypothetical children be at risk?
Steve’s answer seemed reasonable:
Talk to a doctor, sure, but when it comes to love, sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump.
Mia’s answer made my head explode*:
Yes, you probably should. Who wants to give birth to psycho-baby while her husband’s already locked up in a straitjacket? That said, everyone has a family history of something. But before you procreate, I would get checked out by doctors for any genetic or psychiatric problems they might be able to find.
I’ll be honest and say that similar thoughts have crossed my mind before. But no man, woman, or child is perfect. As we know more and more about how our genes increase our susceptibility to illnesses–both minor and major–some of us will throw caution to the wind and follow our hearts while others will demand DNA sequencing results GATTACA-style.
What kind of person will you be in the genetic revolution?
*Yes, I know she was probably joking…at least I hope she was.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: General Genetics and Health
.gif)
2 opinions for Bad Advice on Genetics
Cary
Sep 22, 2005 at 10:42 am
Ah, this is such a very sticky question…unfortunately, the suffering that comes with something like cancer, or schizophrenia, are beyond imagining for most people.
My wife’s family has been riddled with both of these diseases, and the chances that we will atually choose to pro-create, given the genetic circumstances, are slim. It’s also heart breaking for both of us, but the truth is that neither of us could bare to watch our child go through the suffering my wife has gone through.
While I don’t like the idea of an average, healthy young family having their genes checked before having babies, there are definitely circumstances where it would be the most humane thing to do.
Unfortunately, any tool can be used for both good and bad purposes…let shope people keep this in mind as we move forward into the gentic revolution.
Lei
Sep 22, 2005 at 8:10 pm
Cary, Thanks for sharing your experience. I agree that each family has to decide for themselves what is right. I definitely think that it’s better to have the tools and learn to use them for good than not to have them at all. Maybe it will be possible to have healthier families in the future!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: