SANTA FE, N.M., March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- An overwhelming majority of
Americans -- 85 percent -- think employers should be prohibited from obtaining
information about an individual's genetic conditions, risks and
predispositions, according to a survey commissioned by the National Center for
Genome Resources. The survey is the first of its kind in a decade.
This finding and others in the survey support the view that legislation
should be enacted to prevent genetic discrimination in the workplace. The
Clinton administration earlier this year called for legislation banning such
discrimination.
Sixty-nine percent of Americans also think health insurers and life
insurers should be barred from accessing genetic information, survey results
show. And 65 percent of the survey respondents feel that relatives besides
their spouse and adult children do not have a right to such genetic
information. If health insurers or employers could get access to the results
of genetic tests, most people say they probably (36 percent) or definitely (27
percent) would not take such tests.
"As U.S. politicians work to create new laws to regulate this technology,
it is important to recognize societal concerns about the technology and
regulation of the technology," said Dr. Susan Root, director of human genetics
at NCGR. "More and more genetic tests are being developed, with such
implications as defining susceptibility to common diseases like heart disease
and cancer. People desire the information these tests can provide, allowing
them to improve their own preventive measures, but also fear the impact the
information may have on their own insurability, employability and
confidentiality."
The survey was commissioned by NCGR, in collaboration with the New York
Academy of Sciences, to gauge public attitudes toward and awareness of genetic
issues. The national survey research firm Schulman, Ronca and Bucuvalas Inc.
polled 1,000 adults across the United States to pinpoint concerns about the
use of emerging biotechnologies and, separately, surveyed smaller groups of
primary care physicians, leaders of healthcare organizations, scientists,
religious leaders and the media.
The National Center for Genome Resources, a nonprofit organization, serves
science and society by developing educational programs on genetics and
providing bioinformatics services to genetic researchers.
Complete survey results are available on the center's Web site,
http://www.ncgr.org/gpi.
SOURCE National Center for Genome Resources
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Related links:
http://www.ncgr.org
CONTACT:
Janine Sieja Hagerman, Communications Manager
of National Center for Genome Resources, 505-995-4459,
jsh@ncgr.org
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