[Genetics and society: ethic and legal implications]

Medical genetics, recently individualised as a full medical specialty, evidences new problems issued from its natural and historical developments. Genetics counselling, prenatal and predictive diagnosis may be considered as a real progress when applied in the strictly medical and individual fields. When extended to the whole community to answer collective choices, these technologies can turn into eugenic and standardizing practices. Regarding the public health and the economic necessity it could be inviting to overpass the essential values on which are founded our humanity. In that context laws are required to defend the best use for human being several practices, but only after an ethical debate in which everyone should participate.