The Ethics of Consent and Choice in Prenatal Screening

Book excerpt: Increasingly, notions of individual autonomy, personal “choice” and preference have become woven into our reproductive expectations. With respect to prenatal screening, the choices sought, offered or denied are shaped and interpreted through a range of social, personal, institutional and philosophical lenses. While prenatal screening seeks to promote parental choice and early intervention, for the most part, the genetic anomalies commonly targeted are inherently “unfixable.” Frequently, the only further intervention on offer is selective termination. Hence, the practice of prenatal screening raises complex ethical questions, forcing judgement on the desirability or undesirability of certain traits in our future offspring. This book explores the numerous factors that shape how such ethical choices are interpreted from the perspective of individual mothers and health care providers, and considers the impact of these factors on personal autonomy and consent to prenatal screening.