2 - The terminology and possibilities of genetics

Summary

Introduction

Contemporary genetics has caused immense debate in ethics and the social sciences. Some recent discussion has the feel of science fiction and concerns future possibilities for human cloning and alteration of the genome to eliminate diseases or maybe even improve human capacities, in so far as they are genetically determined. This debate has already prompted us to ponder possible future developments, but these often involve scenarios so uncertain that it cannot be determined today how credible their realisation might be.

This book about genetics and personal insurance is not concerned to any great extent with addressing hypothetical possibilities. The technology that is relevant to the debate already exists: genetic testing. Use is already being made of these tests in the health services of the developed countries to establish or further secure diagnoses and to estimate the risk attached to a wide range of diseases before onset.

It is the latter purpose of genetic testing that is of primary interest to insurance companies, that is testing for diseases that have not yet revealed any symptoms. Many serious genetically determined diseases affect the individual early on in life. Since the symptoms appear early, these diseases will not be relevant in the following discussion. However, genetic testing can be used to predict the onset of some diseases that affect adults, or at least the risk of onset. At present, most of these diseases are very rare and very serious.