Science in Context

Table of Contents - 1998 - Volume 11, Issue 3-4  

Genetic Services Eugenic Practices?

Eugenic Considerations in the Theory and Practice of Genetic Counseling

Robert G. Restaa1

a1 Center for Perinatal Studies Swedish Medical Center Seattle, Washington

The Argument

Is genetic counseling a form of eugenics? To some extent, the answer depends upon how the terms “eugenics” and “genetic counseling” are defined. This paper reviews the eugenic implications of four models of genetic counseling. The complexities of slapping the eugenic label on genetic counseling are illustrated with three cases drawn from clinical practice. However, even though genetic counseling is not always a eugenic activity, genetic counselors work in a medical/ financial setting that has the net eugenic effect of, and profits from, reducing the number of people with genetic disorders.