title: Ethical issues in genetic counseling.
abstract: Genetics has made great progress in the past decades, and prenatal diagnosis, predictive genetic testing, and genetic counseling have drawn the limelight of public attention. Because the subject of genetic counseling is of crucial consequence for both the short and long term, its ethical aspects are paramount. The question is whether mankind is mature enough to use this extraordinary knowledge in the right way for the benefit of the society. In the center of ethical questions is the comprehensiveness of information provided to the couples or patients and counseling them about results and making informed educated decisions. In addition, it is crucial how sensitive personal information is treated and whether and how it should be made public.
authors.affiliation: Maternity Private Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Clinical Genetics, Kutvolgyi Clinical Block, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Systems Biology of Reproduction Lendulet Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary; First Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Nandor Gabor
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Than
authors.affiliation: Maternity Private Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Clinical Genetics, Kutvolgyi Clinical Block, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: maternity@maternity.hu.
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Papp
mesh_terms: D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000941:ethics*; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000941:ethics*
keywords: fetal anomalies; genetic disease; noninvasive prenatal testing; predictive genetic testing; prenatal diagnosis; prenatal genetic counseling