AFFIRMATIVE — EMPLOYMENT — GENETIC SCREENING — SOLVENCY 302

NEW PROTECTIONS WILL BE EFFECTIVE

PROTECTION OF PRIVACY IN GENETIC TESTING IS ESSENTIAL TO THE CONTINUATION OF BENEFICIAL TESTING THAT CAN SAVE LIVES

Deron H. Brown, JD Candidate, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Spring 2000; Thomas Jefferson Law Review, "Book Review: Privacy in the Information Age," EE2001-hxm lxnx

Another policy concern is that fear of discrimination will create an incentive to avoid genetic testing, even when it may save lives by aiding medical diagnosis, treatment, and research. These concerns highlight the need for the protection of privacy and autonomy with regard to genetic information.

LEGISLATION PROTECTING THE PRIVACY OF GENETIC INFORMATION COULD SPILL OVER TO THE PROTECTION OF MEDICAL RECORDS

Deron H. Brown, JD Candidate, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Spring 2000; Thomas Jefferson Law Review, "Book Review: Privacy in the Information Age," EE2001-hxm lxnx

The concern over the privacy of genetic information is part of a broader debate regarding the confidentiality of individually identifiable medical records. At present, there are serious gaps in the legal protection given to such records. The proposed federal legislation aimed at maintaining the privacy of genetic information may spur more general efforts toward protecting the privacy of medical records, as genetic data makes up an important component of such records. Protections for this  [*585]  type of information are becoming increasingly necessary as computer databases become more advanced. The combination of the ability to obtain increasingly personal medical information - such as genetic information - with the ability to manipulate and transmit that data electronically increases the need for privacy. n48