Ethical dimensions in genetic screening: a look into the future

The ethical dimensions of four areas of genetic screening, prenatal screening and diagnosis, newborn screening, carrier detection, and presymptomatic genetic testing, are discussed. Ethical analysis of genetic technologies focuses on the goals, values, and professional obligations that underlie the development and use of these technologies. We live in a complex, diverse society, in which there are multiple, often contradictory, values and belief systems that influence public and personal views about the morality of genetic technologies. Some of these prevailing views are presented to highlight the ethical issues nurses may encounter in reproductive health care, an area in which genetic information and services are increasingly important aspects of care.