Essays on Genetic Screening

Technology advancement in the medical sector has had an important contribution in the pathology of many diseases. One of the innovations has been, testing human DNA, commonly referred to as Genetic testing. The procedure involves determining the DNA sequence and changes in the DNA sequence of specific genomes in a human body (McCormick and Connors 317). The tests are used to diagnose traits and diseases, assess the severity of a given disease, and determine gene changes that can be inherited from one generation to another, determining medical treatments and gene changes that have a higher risk of causing a ...

Genetic epidemiology in the developed countries

In the recent past, there has been a renewed interest in genetic epidemiology given the urgent need to understand the trends in non-communicable diseases worldwide and consequently map out mitigation measures. The countries in Europe have been forerunners in such studies. This is mainly attributed to technological advancement and availability of resources in Europe. The high incidences of genetic conditions such as hemophilia and Down’s syndrome in Europe could also be a motivation for more research to be carried in an attempt to find cures for this condition. In a recent study, Czech Republic and Slovenia were found to have the ...

1. Tell me whether each of the following statements is descriptive or normative, and briefly explain your answer: a. Genetic screening could reveal an individual's tolerance for or susceptibility to chemicals used in the workplace.

First of all, it is important to understand that normative statements explain about how things should be. Conversely, descriptive statements give an opinion about what an individual or persons think about a certain thing or phenomenon. In the case of this statement, it is a normative statement because it explains about how things in workplace should be. The statement advocates the idea that genetic ...

Introduction

Genetics is an evolving field in modern day science that has been drawing attention and funding in abundance. Various healthcare professionals have varying degrees of knowledge on modern day genetics and its applications. Nurses are also required to possess knowledge on genetics, as well as a good practice on ethics pertaining to genetics. However it is still not an area where everybody is comfortable to handle (American Nurses Association, 2001). Since the completion of genome project in 2003, there is a great interest towards the applications of genetic engineering technology in healthcare. Genetic screening for diseases such as diabetes mellitus, various ...

Screening is a vital medical exercise. It helps in identifying victims at higher risks at early stages of the disease making it possible to develop medical intervention measures that can reduce the risk of illness and death. Notwithstanding the fact that screening helps in identifying the level of risks, there are certain implications that make it undesirable. There are medical conditions in which screening is an inevitable exercise. For instance, blood pressure is a non-controversial screening program. Nevertheless, genetic screening for prostate or breast cancer, mandatory HIV screening, or obesity screening are some of the most controversial screening programs. This paper ...

Introduction

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness with strong and consistently reported causal linkages with cigarette smoking. Econometric analyses have demonstrated sufficient rationale in promoting smoking cessation as an effective strategy for primary prevention of AMD (Hurley et al, 2008). Japan shares many of the contemporary health issues with the developed countries including its demographic profile (long life expectancy, aging population) and disease burden (lifestyle related disorders). The prevalence of AMD in Japanese population has been found comparable to that in White population (Nakata et al, 2013).This provides sufficient basis for replication of evidence-based strategies ...

Introduction

The topic relates to the ethical issues of genetic screening as the society is increasingly getting into technical advancements and the project of human genome is approaching the century in an increasing manner. One of the major areas of advancement is research associated with the Human genome mapping project and it is major research collaboration in the overall sequence of entire human genome (Weiss, 2011). The human mapping genome has given rise to various advancements and discoveries within the genetic makeup of humans and with these advancements; various ethical and moral concerns are associated in a wide manner. The ability ...

Being a parent is one of the main, most important and the most complex responsibility of an adult. We live in the 21st century, in the world of technological and informational progress, the level of medicine industry has been growing steadily with the development of computer and nanotechnologies. The most important goals of parenting are to grow up a healthy and independent child, benefiting oneself and society and realize their potential to satisfy its physical needs and create the best possible conditions for the spiritual and social development of the child. With the modern science, it is possible to find out a ...

Introduction

Advances in medical technology mean that pregnant women can choose to have tests during pregnancy to predict whether the fetus has characteristics that suggest abnormalities. Although birth defects are rare, the most common of those that do occur are the chromosome disorders Trimosies 13, 18, and 21, commonly known as Patau Syndrome, Edward Syndrome and Down Syndrome respectively (SOFT – Support Organization for Trisomy 18, 13 and related disorders) (n.d.). Statistically, the occurrence of any of those syndromes is as follows: - Patau Syndrome (Trimosy 13): 1 in 10,000 live births; (SOFT – Support Organization for Trisomy 18, ...

Introduction

Breast cancer is a type of disease where certain breast cells develop abnormally mostly in the milk ducts and lobules leading to formation of tumors. The exact cause of breast cancer is a topic that has flavored many debates and researches but still remains unknown. However a plethora of research has established that certain risk factors have a direct linkage with breast cancer. Breast cancer related risk factors are wide and varied and may include lifestyle choices like smoking/ diet or factors that are beyond the control of a person like gender, age or family history. It is however worth noting from the start ...