There are two categories of new human genetic and reproductive technologies:

Those that have or might have clearly beneficial uses. Some technologies or applications in this category raise social concerns, and their use should thus be regulated and controlled as appropriate.

Examples: genetically targeted drugs, somatic gene therapies, infertility treatments, stem cell research, embryo research, sex selection for serious medical conditions, preimplantation genetic diagnosis for serious medical conditions

Those that have few if any beneficial applications, and whose harmful impacts would be profound and irrevocable. These need to be banned.

Examples: Human reproductive cloning and inheritable genetic modification (IGM)

Our society properly places high value on individual liberty, scientific freedom and technological endeavor. But our support for these principles must be held in balance with our commitments to social justice and the common good. Democratic societies have the ability and obligation to evaluate the safety, efficacy, priority, and social impact of new technologies.

The capacity to manipulate the genes we pass on to our children carries physical, social, and political risks as momentous as those posed by any technology human beings have yet developed. Human cloning and IGM are species-altering technologies. They pose the near-term possibility of genetically selecting and "redesigning" children, and raise the specter of a new eugenics of genetically engineered inequality. These prospects argue strongly for their prohibition.

 

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More Information

Analysis: Examine the social, cultural, and economic landscape

Perspectives: Explore various communities' concerns regarding human genetic technologies

Policies: Read about existing and potential regulations

Technologies: Learn the basic science and consider arguments for and against

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