Background introduction
Non-invasive DNA testing, referred to as NIPT, is a method that does not require traditional risk testing such as amniocentesis and can screen the risk of fetal chromosomal defects through fetal DNA in the blood of pregnant women. Even as the technology becomes increasingly popular in the medical field, more and more doctors are expressing concerns about non-invasive DNA testing. So why don’t doctors recommend non-invasive DNA testing?
Limited accuracy
Even for certain genetic variants that are higher risk, noninvasive DNA testing cannot completely rule out the possibility of false-positive or false-negative results. If it is suggested that a pregnant woman\’s fetus may have a chromosomal abnormality, further confirmatory testing is usually required. Not only that, non-invasive DNA testing cannot provide pregnant women with information about the risk of difficult-to-detect genetic diseases, including intellectual development and growth spurt syndrome.
Concerns about privacy protection
Since non-invasive DNA testing requires DNA extraction from the maternal final, women are required to voluntarily provide their DNA. This means that third-party organizations may also access and use this data, thus potentially raising privacy concerns. At the same time, this trend may also lead to the rise of \”genetic analysis\”, heralding a kind of genetic-based social division.
Medical ethics and cognitive bias
Faced with widespread demand among pregnant women, many doctors discourage noninvasive DNA testing because its correct use requires consideration of ethical and cognitive bias challenges. Particularly if the pregnant woman is stressed, or if the risk of changes in family relationships is higher as a result, doctors may be more inclined to recommend traditional risk-based testing to pregnant women.
Potential social impact
Some doctors worry that non-invasive DNA testing may have some negative impact on society. First of all, using individual genes as the standard for measuring human value may lead to the differentiation of human value. Second, such testing may lead to over-exaggeration of non-existent or only minor genetic differences, thereby triggering genetic discrimination. Finally, elective abortion may occur when the situation faced by pregnant women worsens, an issue that should be strictly regulated.
Summary
In summary, although non-invasive DNA testing is becoming more and more popular in the medical field, many doctors do not recommend this testing method due to issues such as its limited accuracy, privacy protection, medical ethics, and social impact. Through a treatment-centered ethics, we should keep an open mind to the difficult problems of rapidly evolving technologies. Only in this way can we ensure the quality and safety of new technologies and achieve long-term medical benefits.
