[Ethics and genetic diagnosis].

Abstract

The implications of current ethical concerns in the field of genetic research and applications are discussed. Genetic diagnosis is perceived as ethically ambivalent both in general and in its individual applications. Genetic testing, by inviting participation, reflects this ambivalence and can be taken as the basis for both a "right to know" and a "right not to know". The connection between prenatal diagnosis and abortion is also complex and cannot be regarded as ethically clearcut. In these circumstances the legislator must exercise caution in regulating genetic diagnosis in its present state of development.