But being first is a double-edged sword. Members of the group are the first to gain access to more information about future health risks and to be able to seek early testing and treatment. Using genetic testing to distinguish individuals might make sense if it were able to single out those truly at greater genetic risk. We all carry some assortment of genetic defects, but for most of us science has yet to discover our particular defects or tests to identify them. Since genetic tests are available for only a fraction of the diseases that likely have a genetic component, it is unfair to single out those people affected by the few diseases for which we now can test.
Gene therapy is on the cusp of becoming effective.
One question will arise around how serious an illness or defect must be to warrant the use of gene therapy. Another will ask whether the technology should be used not to cure, but to enhance performance. Since such therapies will work at the genetic level, we will need to decide whether they should be used on fetuses, on children, or only on adults. Deciding to treat diseases that have effects in childhood will be easy. Those decisions will be more difficult.