Ethical aspects of genetic screening in Israel

Advances in genetic research make it possible to identify carriers of a gro wing number of genetic diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) publis hed several preconditions for community carrier screening. This paper aims to present some of the dilemmas about screening in Israel and the difficult ies in following the WHO's helpful criteria. Some of the genetic diseases that are rare in the world are relatively comm on among several communities in Israel, and one of the dilemmas is for whic h of them screening is justified. Consensus exists among professionals and among the public about screening for a severe disease like Tay-Sachs, but t he justification for screening for a disease with a widely variable express ion, like Gaucher disease, is debatable. Another dilemma is whether to offe r screening to the general population when the options to solve the problem are still not clear, as is the case of screening for carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2. The author also explains why geneticists in Israel cooperate with a screening program in the ultra-orthodox community, although it is done acc ording to unusual rules.