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What do you think about mandatory DNA screening? I.e. analyse DNA of everyone who wants to have children and do not allow it if there are defective genes? This

What do you think about mandatory DNA screening? I.e. analyse DNA of everyone who wants to have children and do not allow it if there are defective genes? This way we could save a lot on research and treating currently incurable diseases (there would be no children with such diseases and no need for treating them).

superb_dev 3y ago
How is it enforced, and how do we decide which diseases trigger this?
- codedokode 3y ago
  As I understand the most difficult to cure and incurable diseases are those that are encoded in DNA (DNA contains errors and invalid sequences which cause the disease). So instead of making multi-billion research and cure that costs millions of dollars, wouldn't it be easier to make everyone check their DNA and warn about presence of invalid sequences causing diseases? So that no more sick children are born and no need to buy pills for millions of dollars. The DNA testing should be mandatory for everyone, but let parents decide for themselves if they want a child with an incurable disease. Maybe we should make them pay extra taxes if they ignore the warning.
mpweiher 3y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics
- codedokode 3y ago
  So you think parents should not know and should not care whether their children will have an incurable disease? According to Wiki: "Sickle cell disease occurs when a person inherits two abnormal copies of the β-globin gene (HBB) that makes haemoglobin, one from each parent". So basically this disease is encoded in DNA and it can be predicted whether future child will inherit it. Mandatory DNA screening could result in zero people having this disease (and other expensive to treat or incurable diseases). There will be no need to spend large money researching it, and those money can be used for more important non-genetic diseases. Of course, religious people would be against this but we as a society should rely on science, not on blind faith.
  - theultdev 3y ago
    > analyse DNA of everyone who wants to have children and do not allow it if there are defective genes? You trust the government to decide who can and can't reproduce? You see no problem with this? You see no room for abuse here? There's already tests to show parents many diseases detected early on. It's just not mandatory to terminate.
    - codedokode 3y ago
      Tests are not mandatory so people do not know or do not care about the problem. Also they should be done before conceiving a child.
      - theultdev 3y ago
        That's false... there are mandatory tests the doctors do and they do inform the parents if there is a detected problem. What tests are you talking about that should be done BEFORE conception!? Supporting a test that says you have X gene and that might result in a problem so you can't reproduce is a ridiculous stance to have. You seem to have no knowledge about current medical screenings and no regard for human liberty.
        codedokode 3y ago
        > What tests are you talking about that should be done BEFORE conception!? DNA test that detects errors (invalid sequences) known to cause serious illnesses. I think everyone who is considering to have children, should take such a test because he or she can be a carrier of invalid DNA which can be inherited and ruin life for a child. People should behave responsibly.
johngladtj 3y ago
Sounds like a great idea, we could even have people who aren't allowed to breed wear a nice yellow star on their chests so everyone knows. I wonder why no one ever thought to implement such a thing? I would rethink that if I were you.
- codedokode 3y ago
  So you think parents should not check whether their genes contain markers for incurable diseases? Let more sick children be born? With prices like several million dollars for the cure for this disease, majority of parents (except for rich countires) will not be able to afford treatment. According to Wiki, "Sickle cell disease occurs when a person inherits two abnormal copies of the β-globin gene (HBB) that makes haemoglobin, one from each parent". So this is a disease caused by errors in DNA sequence and it can be predicted whether the child will have it.
  - johngladtj 3y ago
    There's a difference between having an ability and un-incentivized choice to do something, and being mandated to do that something. One of those ends with millions of people in camps. I'll let you think about which one it is.

superb_dev 3y ago

How is it enforced, and how do we decide which diseases trigger this?

codedokode 3y ago
As I understand the most difficult to cure and incurable diseases are those that are encoded in DNA (DNA contains errors and invalid sequences which cause the disease). So instead of making multi-billion research and cure that costs millions of dollars, wouldn't it be easier to make everyone check their DNA and warn about presence of invalid sequences causing diseases? So that no more sick children are born and no need to buy pills for millions of dollars. The DNA testing should be mandatory for everyone, but let parents decide for themselves if they want a child with an incurable disease. Maybe we should make them pay extra taxes if they ignore the warning.

mpweiher 3y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics

codedokode 3y ago
So you think parents should not know and should not care whether their children will have an incurable disease? According to Wiki: "Sickle cell disease occurs when a person inherits two abnormal copies of the β-globin gene (HBB) that makes haemoglobin, one from each parent". So basically this disease is encoded in DNA and it can be predicted whether future child will inherit it. Mandatory DNA screening could result in zero people having this disease (and other expensive to treat or incurable diseases). There will be no need to spend large money researching it, and those money can be used for more important non-genetic diseases. Of course, religious people would be against this but we as a society should rely on science, not on blind faith.
- theultdev 3y ago
  > analyse DNA of everyone who wants to have children and do not allow it if there are defective genes? You trust the government to decide who can and can't reproduce? You see no problem with this? You see no room for abuse here? There's already tests to show parents many diseases detected early on. It's just not mandatory to terminate.
  - codedokode 3y ago
    Tests are not mandatory so people do not know or do not care about the problem. Also they should be done before conceiving a child.
    - theultdev 3y ago
      That's false... there are mandatory tests the doctors do and they do inform the parents if there is a detected problem. What tests are you talking about that should be done BEFORE conception!? Supporting a test that says you have X gene and that might result in a problem so you can't reproduce is a ridiculous stance to have. You seem to have no knowledge about current medical screenings and no regard for human liberty.
      - codedokode 3y ago
        > What tests are you talking about that should be done BEFORE conception!? DNA test that detects errors (invalid sequences) known to cause serious illnesses. I think everyone who is considering to have children, should take such a test because he or she can be a carrier of invalid DNA which can be inherited and ruin life for a child. People should behave responsibly.

johngladtj 3y ago

Sounds like a great idea, we could even have people who aren't allowed to breed wear a nice yellow star on their chests so everyone knows. I wonder why no one ever thought to implement such a thing? I would rethink that if I were you.

codedokode 3y ago
So you think parents should not check whether their genes contain markers for incurable diseases? Let more sick children be born? With prices like several million dollars for the cure for this disease, majority of parents (except for rich countires) will not be able to afford treatment. According to Wiki, "Sickle cell disease occurs when a person inherits two abnormal copies of the β-globin gene (HBB) that makes haemoglobin, one from each parent". So this is a disease caused by errors in DNA sequence and it can be predicted whether the child will have it.
- johngladtj 3y ago
  There's a difference between having an ability and un-incentivized choice to do something, and being mandated to do that something. One of those ends with millions of people in camps. I'll let you think about which one it is.