Mexican geneticists' views of ethical issues in genetics testing and screening. Are eugenic principles involved?

Abstract

Herein we discuss Mexican geneticists' views of ethical issues in genetic testing and screening, analyzing whether eugenic principles are involved in this activity. The information was obtained from a comprehensive survey on genetics, ethics, and society organized by Wertz and Fletcher in 1993, in which 37 nations participated. The responses to 21 questions from 64 out of 89 (72%) geneticists invited to participate are analyzed in this paper. The questions were practically the same as those answered recently by a group of Chinese geneticists (Mao X. Chinese geneticists' views of ethical issues in genetic testing and screening: evidence for eugenics in China. Am J Hum Genet 1998: 63: 688-695), who work in a country where the furtherance of eugenic principles is considered to be the goal of human genetics. We concluded that although there are many similarities in the answers from both countries, this is not indicative of Mexican geneticists pursuing eugenic goals because: a) there is no coercion involved; and b) there is no intention of improving the gene pool.