Journal of Genetic Counseling~ Vol. 4, No. 3, 1995

Forum: How Much Technology Is Too Much?

INTRODUCTION

This is the first Forum column to appear in the journal. The Forum will present a provocative issue with the intention of initiating open dis- cussion from journal readers. Individuals interested in responding to this article should send two double-spaced copies of their reply to the editor at P.O. Box 2145, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania 19046. We will make every effort to publish responses in a future issue.

As new genetic technologies continue to evolve at an alarming rate and the availability of genetic technology explodes into everyday use, ge- netic counselors are propelled into previously unexplored arenas and are expected to make sense of the vast array of new information for an often misinformed public. The applications of these new capabilities often appear endless while the implications of technological advances remain obscure. Simultaneously, mankind, especially in the civilized world, is struggling to remain or return to a place of balance within nature and within him or herself. Vast numbers of individuals are experiencing the disenchantment with the frenetic pace of attempting to get ahead only to find that there is still inner emptiness once they have arrived.

Science, and medicine in particular, holds out glowing promises of a better individual quantity and quality of life yet paradoxically ignores the potential effects on the society at large. We present our clients/patients with options for assisted reproduction to enhance the likelihood of a nor- mal pregnancy outcome after engineering the manner in which conception occurs and is maintained. While the happy couple is delighted at being able to conceive in such a manner, questions about the outgrowths of the technology are rarely asked. For example, it is currently possible for a woman, but not a man, to individually conceive and carry a child without having to undertake the commitment to a relationship with the father. While we all applaud the efficiency of this process, I wonder if we ever

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ponder the questions this child might ask of the mother some day. "What is my other parent like? ... . Well, he has blonde hair, blue eyes, and was very intelligent!" "No, I mean what is he like? Is he a warm, caring person or is he cold, distant and only concerned about himself? How does he feel when he looks at the sunset? Does he cry when someone in the family dies? Were my ancestors settlers and what can you tell me about their way of life? Sometimes I feel lonely and wonder ff he ever feels that way. I see tots of men around me and wonder what it's like for him as a man."

What, if any, is the responsibility of the medical genetics community to the future generations and society these new technologies will allow us to create? Do we have an ethical/moral directive to inform the consumers of these technologies of the possible long-term implications of their choices? Our profession is in the unique position to educate an ignorant public that, what may look harmless in the short term, could actually set the stage for a drama with an unsatisfactory ending.