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Article: Genetic Discrimination
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- Genetics
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Genetic Discrimination
The potentially stigmatizing nature of genetic information and its history of abuse necessitate special provisions for its protection. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has established a basic right to privacy (in the case of
Roe
v.
Wade
), the nonspecific nature of this privacy protection fails to adequately guard against the unauthorized disclosure of personal genetic information.
There have been reports that genetic discrimination has been practiced by employers and insurers who are afraid of being required to cover the potentially high medical expenses of individuals who have a family history of a genetically inheritable disease, even if those individuals exhibit ...