Genetics and the Law

This chapter explores the similarities and differences in the legal approaches in the United States and Europe to genetic issues. Both the United States and Europe value informed consent and autonomy in this context. As a result, individuals must give informed consent to genetic testing and can decide to opt out of being informed by their health professionals about genetic sequencing results, including results that are clinically relevant. All states in the United States conduct newborn screening using DNA samples, and most do so without parental consent. In Europe, most countries have a newborn screening program, and most of these require parental consent. The chapter also looks at the legal approaches to genetic discrimination, as well as human gene therapy and gene therapy research. As genetic technologies continue to evolve, the United States and Europe will likely continue to face similar ethical and legal issues regarding the regulation of that genetic technology. However, their approaches will likely overlap in some ways and diverge in others, reflecting differences in the legal structures and cultures of each jurisdiction.