In another class we were disucssing in vitro genetic testing.  We were discussing whether or not it should be done, if it should or ever will be mandated, etc.  My personal thoughts on this are that if the parents know of a past history of serious illness or disease then they should feel obligted to genetically test their child.  I don't believe that it is fair to give birth to a child that you know is going to be born with some kind of debilitating desease.  If there is no family history of illness, then I suppose that the genetic testing is a matter of choice, but even then, if the parents do decide to test the child in virto and they find something wrong, they are obligated to do something about it.  I suppose you are wondering what I mean when I say do something.  I mean that if the parents find out that the child is going to be born with a curable disease they should start taking measures to irradiate the disease in utero.  I personally would even go as far to say that if I personally found out that my future child was going to have a incurable disease I would have to think long and hard about whether or not I wanted to carry the child to term.  For example, if I found out that my child was going to have spinabifida I would probably abort the child because it is known that that disease is incurable, difficult to live with, and very painful, and I would never want to see my child go though that kind of life.  So I guess I pose those same questions to those who feel like responding.  Do you think in vitro genetic testing should be performed? Do you think it should be manditory for those with a history of illness or disease?  Would you think about abortion more seriously if you found out that your child was going to have a life threatening, and dibilitating disease?  What would you do if you did decide to genetically test your child and found out that there was something serioulsy wrong? Please feel free to weigh in!

I do not feel that in vitro genetic testing should be mandatory for anyone.  That being said, I think that it is a technology that could be helpful in some cases, and it should be performed for any willing mother.  For me personally, I think that if I genetically tested my child and found something seriously wrong, abortion would be tempting.  As a Catholic, I am pro-life and wouldn't want to be put in that situation.  For that reason, I do not think I would get my child genetically tested.  Obviously I have never experienced having to raise a special needs child, but I babysat some good family friends' special needs child every week for many years.  He was a really cute kid and I really enjoyed him even though he was often fairly difficult to handle.  But I learned things from him that I don't think I could have learned from anyone else.  Special needs kids really put things into perspective and are able to show you the bigger picture about how to love.  Also, my mom worked in special ed for a while and often had kids over to our house.  These kids were really adorable. I think that God makes everyone for a reason and that in vitro genetic testing could be harmful if women were to abort all children that had a disability.