Genetic discrimination and the law.

American journal of human genetics ·Vol. 50 ·No. 3 ·1992-03-00 ·Pages 465-75

Natowicz MR, Alper JK, Alper JS

Abstract

The use of genetic tests can lead to genetic discrimination, discrimination based solely on the nature of an individual's genotype. Instances of the discriminatory uses of genetic tests by employers and insurance companies have already been reported. The recently enacted Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), together with other federal and state laws, can be used to combat some forms of this discrimination. In this article we define and characterize genetic discrimination, discuss the applicability of the various relevant federal and state laws, including the ADA, in the areas of employment and insurance discrimination, explore the limitations of these laws, and, finally, suggest some means of overcoming these limitations.

Keywords

Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 Genetics and Reproduction Legal Approach Rehabilitation Act 1973

MeSH Terms

Civil Rights/legislation & jurisprudence Disabled Persons/legislation & jurisprudence Employment/legislation & jurisprudence Federal Government Genetic Diseases, Inborn Genetic Testing/legislation & jurisprudence Government Regulation Health Humans Insurance/legislation & jurisprudence Insurance Selection Bias Personnel Selection Prejudice United States

Authors & Affiliations

3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID

Natowicz M R

Division of Medical Genetics, Shriver Center for Mental Retardation, Waltham, MA 02254.

Alper J K

Alper J S

References (9)

9 references, click to expand

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Article Info

Journal

American journal of human genetics

Abbr.

Am J Hum Genet

ISSN

0002-9297

Published

1992-03-00

Pages

465-75

Language

English

Region

United States

NLM ID

0370475

PMCID

PMC1684277

Subset

Corrections

CommentIn

PMID: 1415234

CommentIn

PMID: 1415236

External Links

PubMed source PMC Full Text View journal details

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