Events

Non-Invasive Prenatal Genetic Testing: A Moral Maze?

Economic and Social Research Council Genomics Network
Music Room, Exeter Central Library, Castle Street, Exeter EX4 3PQ, UK
16 March 2010 - 7pm-8.45pm

An event at the Economic and Social Research Council's Festival of Social Science addressing non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD).

Recent advances mean that it is becoming possible to screen for a limited variety of genetic conditions through normal blood testing, avoiding the need for risky procedures such as amniocentesis. More expansive prenatal tests - for example, testing for conditions like Down's syndrome or for predisposition to disease - are on the horizon. How much do members of the public know about these emerging testing procedures, and what do they think? Are the tests viewed as a quicker and easier way to identify genetic disorders before birth, or as the thin end of the wedge in a culture that desires 'perfect' babies? Will NIPD improve reproductive healthcare, or will it turn all pregnancies into a moral maze?

Attendance is free, and booking is not required. For further information, contact Claire Packman at or on +44 (0)1392 269 126.

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Find out more about fertility/embryology regulation in Human Fertilisation and Embryology: Reproducing Regulation, coedited by BioNews Contributing Editor Dr Kirsty Horsey (buy this book from Amazon UK or Amazon USA); and find out more about genetics in The Rough Guide to Genes and Cloning, coauthored by BioNews Contributing Editor Dr Jess Buxton (buy this book from Amazon UK or Amazon USA).

Further details of this event are available on the Economic and Social Research Council website.