
Current and Emerging Prenatal Testing Technologies: Bioethical Implications
February 21 @ 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Hong Kong, China (GMT+8)
Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky will present “Current and Emerging Prenatal Testing Technologies: Bioethical Implications” at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Centre for Bioethics’ 10th Anniversary Celebration.
Prenatal genetic testing technologies can provide individuals and families with valuable information about their potential prospective children. Such technologies, including pre-implantation genetic testing of in-vitro embryos and testing of fetuses during pregnancy, can promote informed decision-making and in some cases can be medically beneficial. They have also been raising powerful bioethical concerns for decades, such as their impact on parental autonomy, societal eugenic tendencies, and disability rights. Recent new technologies, such as noninvasive prenatal testing (that was developed by Prof. Dennis Lo in Hong Kong) or polygenic screening of in-vitro embryos, have further stimulated the bioethical discussion regarding what conditions and traits these technologies are targeting. This talk will focus on the recent analysis of prenatal testing in the Western bioethics literature, as well as cultural and policy implications for East Asia and Hong Kong. The talk will address the notion of a ‘serious’ genetic condition as justifying testing, and the debate surrounding the use of prenatal testing for medical versus non-medical purposes.