title: Preimplantation diagnosis to create 'saviour siblings': a critical discussion of the current and future legal frameworks in South Africa.
abstract: Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a technology used  in conjunction with in vitro fertilisation to screen embryos for  genetic conditions prior to transfer. It was initially developed  to screen mutations for severe, irreversible, genetic conditions.  Currently, PGD makes it possible to select against more than 100  different genetic conditions. It has been proposed as a method  for creating a tissue-matched child who can in turn serve as a  compatible stem cell donor to save a sick sibling in need of a stem  cell transplant. The advantage of this method is that it provides  genetic information before implantation of an embryo into the  womb, making it possible to ensure that only tissue-matched  embryos are transferred to the uterus. A couple can therefore  avoid the difficult choice of either terminating the pregnancy at  a later point if the fetus is not a match, or extending their family  again in the hope that their next child will be tissue compatible.  Many people have expressed disapproval of the use of PGD for  this purpose, and it is associated with many conflicting interests  including religion, ethics as well as legal regulation. In order  to manage these issues some jurisdictions have created legal  frameworks to regulate the use of this technology. Many of these  are modelled on the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology  Authority and its guardian legislation.  This paper critiques the current and future South African legal  framework to establish whether it is able to adequately regulate  the use of PGD as well as guard against misuse of the technology.  It concludes that changes are required to the future framework in  order to ensure that it regulates the circumstances in which PGD  may occur and that the Minister of Health should act expediently  in finalising draft regulations which will regulate PGD in the  future.
authors.affiliation: University of KwaZulu Natal.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strode
authors.forename: Sheetal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soni
mesh_terms: D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000628:therapy; D033161:Government Regulation; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D019836:Preimplantation Diagnosis