Complicated Questions
May. 8th, 2007 10:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lollardfishNY Times on Testing for Down Syndrome and it's consequences.
An interesting article and a subject I plan to write about down the road. This issue of how you break the news is pretty critical. Once, as Michael Berube wrote in his book, parents were told they had, or were going to have, a "mongoloid idiot" who would never recognize their parents, have an IQ of 20 or so, and would probably die by age 5. We've come a long way.
George Will wants to stop the test because, in his conservative reactionay mode, he wants to deny people information. He doesn't trust people.
I think, in my rosy liberal way, that people need to be educated and then allowed to make whatever choice they think is best, and that how we educate people is critical.
I do think the premise that programs for people with Down Syndrome will vanish if this test is made routine for women under 35 is flawed. Yes, rate of increase may slow, but the population won't vanish and hundreds of babies, at least (instead of the 5500) will still be born with the condition every year.
Anyway, it's complex. I look forward to seeing your comments.
An interesting article and a subject I plan to write about down the road. This issue of how you break the news is pretty critical. Once, as Michael Berube wrote in his book, parents were told they had, or were going to have, a "mongoloid idiot" who would never recognize their parents, have an IQ of 20 or so, and would probably die by age 5. We've come a long way.
George Will wants to stop the test because, in his conservative reactionay mode, he wants to deny people information. He doesn't trust people.
I think, in my rosy liberal way, that people need to be educated and then allowed to make whatever choice they think is best, and that how we educate people is critical.
I do think the premise that programs for people with Down Syndrome will vanish if this test is made routine for women under 35 is flawed. Yes, rate of increase may slow, but the population won't vanish and hundreds of babies, at least (instead of the 5500) will still be born with the condition every year.
Anyway, it's complex. I look forward to seeing your comments.
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quick thoughts....
Date: 2007-05-09 05:40 am (UTC)With medical technology moving forward testing will become more sophisticated and less expensive for all disabilities and diseases.
I think if the technology is available to provide testing that it is unethical not to offer it to all pregnant women.
While it's understandable to worry that those with diabilities will have fewer people like them they can relate to and that funding for their needs would then be less that just isn't cause to not move towards giving people knowledge and letting them make informed decisions.
I think the benefits of knowing what you are siging up for out weigh the consequences. IMPO.