Ethical boundaries of the legal regulation of conditions of carrying out genetic screening in prenatal diagnosis in Russia and abroad

Abstract

Objectives. The purpose of this study is to study the essence of ethical problems that arise in the field of genetic screening for prenatal diagnosis (PND) and determine possible ways to overcome them by legal means, taking into account the existing foreign experience. Materials and methods. Normative legal acts and doctrinal sources of Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, France and Switzerland are studied. Methods used: General philosophical, General scientific, private scientific, special (structural-legal, comparative-legal, formal-legal). Results. Ways to resolve ethical problems that arise or may arise in the future as a result of genetic screening for PND, which can be applied within the Russian legal system, are proposed. Conclusions. It is stated that most of the identified ethical problems are related to the lack of normative consolidation of the legal status of the fetus. It is presumed that the beginning of ethics should serve as the guide for legislation in this area. At the same time, it is emphasized that the legal regulation of genetic screening in PND should be flexible enough to optimally ensure the interests of all participants in these relationships. In addition, in this direction, it seems appropriate to refer to the experience of a number of foreign countries, whose legislation provides for fairly strict requirements in the field of PND.