Perspectives of new reproductive and diagnostic techniques among biologists and physicians, social scientists and ethicists.
The introduction and acceptance of new techniques in the field of reproductive medicine and antenatal genetic diagnosis is a complicated process in which biomedical professionals, and also social scientists and ethicists, play an important role. In this study the attitudes, expectancies and opinions of a panel of biological and medical professionals working in the field of this new technology are compared with those of a panel of concerned social scientists, psychologists, ethicists and leading members of patient groups. Various aspects of the new techniques are investigated: the present and future feasibility, the potential importance, the ethical evaluation and the social acceptance. The social-ethical panel appears to be much more reluctant regarding the importance, ethical values and social acceptability of new techniques than the biomedical panel, in particular, for preimplantation genetic diagnosis and fetal cell sorting large differences exist.
van Balen
F
F
Department of Education, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Vergeer
M M
MM
Geraedts
J P
JP
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001695:Biology; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005544:Forecasting; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012099:Reproductive Techniques / Q000639:trends*; D012942:Social Sciences; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical