Gene technology: also a gender issue. Views of Dutch informed women on genetic screening and gene therapy

The reported research was conceived as a pilot study to explore the views of women on the implications of the analysis of the human genome. The data were gathered by interview and questionnaire from a group of Dutch women, most likely to have an informed opinion. However, even women who were assumed to be informed express a serious lack of knowledge. Nevertheless, they mention a whole range of problematic issues. Overall, women are likely to think that gene technology does affect them differently than it does men. They draw attention to the social reality of women's lives, mentioning the greater responsibility of mothers for the embryo and childbirth and pointing to the fact that women are subjected to more complicated and painful examinations. In the public debate attentional for gender implications of gene technology is lacking. A plea is made to improve the quality of the debate by integrating sex and gender specific issues.