Science and society: genetic counselling and customary consanguineous marriage.
Consanguineous marriage is customary in many societies, but leads to an increased birth prevalence of infants with severe recessive disorders. It is therefore often proposed that consanguineous marriage should be discouraged on medical grounds. However, several expert groups have pointed out that this proposal is inconsistent with the ethical principles of genetic counselling, overlooks the social importance of consanguineous marriage and is ineffective. Instead, they suggest that the custom increases the possibilities for effective genetic counselling, and recommend a concerted effort to identify families at increased risk, and to provide them with risk information and carrier testing when feasible.
Modell
Bernadette
B
Royal Free and University College Medical School, Highgate Hill, London N19 5LW, UK. b.modell@pcps.ucl.ac.uk
Darr
Aamra
A
D015982:Bias; D003241:Consanguinity; D003469:Culture; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000235:genetics; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment