Ethical aspects of genetic testing

No research study or significant medical treatment can be done involving pa tients without their informed consent. In workplaces and environmental sett ings, individuals are often exposed to mutagenic or carcinogenic substances , usually without their knowledge, and not with their informed consent. Suc h exposures can lead to evermore easily documentable genetic changes. As ge netic testing becomes more widespread, there are significant ethical implic ations regarding employment, insurance coverage, and confidentiality regard ing medical information. With an increased ability to detect genetic change s, or 'unfavorable' genetic polymorphisms, this information should not be u sed to deny employment or increase insurance rates. Rather, such informatio n should be used to increasingly provide appropriately safe workplaces, and place workers in less hazardous settings. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.