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D C Wertz

Publications and source records attributed to D C Wertz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Embryo and stem cell research in the United States: history and politics.

Stem cell research in the United States is inevitably connected with the politics of abortion. Since 1973, when the Supreme Court Roe v Wade decision legalized abortion, the US government has refused to fund embryo research, including IVF, because Congress feared this would encourage women to have abortions. IVF and infertility research have taken place in an unregulated private sector. Bush's decision allowing federal funds for research on stem cells derived before 9 August 2001 may be the first use of federal finds, though the overall ban on embryo research still stands. This paper examines 30 years of US refusal to fund embryo research, cultural background, religious beliefs as these affect stem cell research, as well as the ethical issues related to creating blastocysts to specifically derive stem cells, and therapeutic cloning.

Embryo, Mammalian↗
PubMed2000

Genetics services in a social, ethical and policy context: a collaboration between consumers and providers.

We report a unique, collaborative effort by users and providers of genetic services to arrive at outlines for optimal ethics and clinical practice. Using focus groups of consumers (users) and providers (held separately), a provider-consumer project team developed 1) a consumer wish list, 2) an experientially based ethical overview of situations arising in practice, and 3) detailed suggestions for consumer-provider interactions in clinical settings. Consumers were primarily interested in accurate information, respect for persons, a smoothly functioning team, with the consumer as an equal member of the team, family integrity, and providers who knew the limits of their knowledge and were willing to refer. "Non-directive" counselling and privacy were not major issues in consumer focus groups; some thought providers should openly state their own opinions. Providers had a rather different list of priorities. Books and papers on clinical ethics usually originate from bioethicists and physicians. This pilot project is unique in including consumers and providers equally.

Community Participation↗
PubMed1999

Archived specimens: a platform for discussion.

To facilitate discussion, this paper describes various types of collections of specimens, their uses in research, types of identifiers, requirements for informed consent, third-party access to samples, recontact, and controversial ethical and social issues. There is need for public opinion research on people's views of these issues, with particular attention to the views of minority groups.

Biological Specimen Banks↗
PubMed1998

Ethical and social issues in prenatal sex selection: a survey of geneticists in 37 nations.

In a recent 37-nation survey of 2903 geneticists and genetic counselors, 29% would perform prenatal diagnosis (PND) for a couple with four girls who want a boy and would abort a female fetus. An additional 20% would offer a referral. The percentage who would perform PND in the United States (34%) was exceeded only by Israel (68%), Cuba (62%), Peru (39%), and Mexico (38%). In all, 47% had had requests for sex selection. There appears to be a trend toward honoring such requests since a similar survey in 1985. This paper discusses reasons for this trend and the ethical dilemmas of refusing patient requests in societies where individual autonomy is stressed.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Mexican geneticists' opinions on disclosure issues.

Here we discuss the opinion on disclosure issues (respect for confidentiality) of Mexican professionals working in clinical genetics. The information was obtained from a comprehensive survey on genetics, ethics and society organized by Wertz and Fletcher in 1993, in which geneticists from 37 nations participated. The responses to 18 questions from 64 of 89 (72%) geneticists invited to participate were analyzed for this paper. The questions were directed to investigate: a) disclosure of clinically relevant information in several situations such as testicular feminization syndrome, mosaic de novo balanced translocation in a fetus, or accidental discovery of non-paternity; b) the protection of patient's privacy from the spouse or blood relatives; and c) confidentiality in cases with high genetic risk to relatives. The results reveal significant disparity between general responses related to disclosure of all clinically relevant information and specific responses in particular cases. In addition, professionals appear to give higher priority to protecting the spouse, blood relatives or public safety, rather than the patient's confidentiality.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1997

Laboratory policies and practices for the genetic testing of children: a survey of the Helix network.

In order to discover whether laboratories have policies regarding the testing of unaffected children, we surveyed all laboratories registered with Helix, a national net-work of DNA diagnostic laboratories. Of 186 laboratories asked to respond anonymously to a four-page questionnaire, 156 (84%) replied. A screening question removed 51 laboratories that provided no clinical services. Of the remaining 105, 92% said that their requisition forms asked the person's age. Substantial minorities had policies for the testing of minors for late-onset disorders (46%), for carrier status for recessive disorders (33%), or for disorders for which the test offers no medical benefit within 3 years (33%). Most laboratories are responsive to parental requests. For 12 of 13 late-onset disorders, the majority of laboratories that offered testing had had requests to test children. The majority had tested healthy children, <12 years of age, for eight disorders. Approximately 22% had tested children, <12 years of age, for Huntington disease. Majorities had received requests to test healthy children for carrier status for 10 of 15 recessive or X-linked disorders and had tested children, <12 years of age, for 6 of these disorders, including cystic fibrosis, hemophilia A, fragile X syndrome, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Approximately 45% of the laboratories occasionally had provided tests directly to consumers. In view of the possibility that the harms of presymptomatic diagnoses of children sometimes may outweigh the benefits, our results suggest a need for consistent laboratory policies designed for the best interests of the child and the family.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

China's genetic services providers' attitudes towards several ethical issues: a cross-cultural survey.

Attitudes towards ethical, legal and social issues in genetic research and practice were investigated in 402 genetic services providers from 30 provinces and autonomous regions in China. This was done using a Chinese version of an international survey questionnaire on ethics and genetics that has been circulated in 37 nations. In all, 255 study participants completed questionnaires (63%). The majority of the respondents (89%) reported that they agreed with the current Chinese laws and regulations on termination of pregnancy for genetic abnormalities and non-medical indications, on the basis of considerations of population control and family planning. More than half the respondents opposed sex selection by prenatal diagnosis in the absence of an X-linked disorder. However, most of them (86%) would prefer directive counseling. More than half would agree to disclose genetic information to relatives at risk, and would permit third parties such as law enforcement agencies, spouse/partner, blood relatives, employers involving public safety, life and health insurers to access stored DNA without consent. The majority (73%-98%) also thought that DNA fingerprinting should be required for prisoners convicted of or charged with crimes, members of armed forces and all newborns. Although these are only the first part of the results of our international survey, they provide an initial basis for international discussion on ethics and genetics in China.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗