Are your genes good enough?

Could our society become divided on the basis of 'good' and 'bad' genes?

A small but increasing number of genetic tests can reveal a risk of health problems in the future. The UK Disability Discrimination Act was put into place to reduce discrimination for a range of illnesses and disabilities but it doesn't fully cover unfair use of genetic information.

Discriminating on the basis of a person's genetics raises issues. Although currently healthy a person could show mutations that cause or raise the risk of developing diseases later in life.

The use of genetic information by insurance companies has already been the subject of some debate. Although British Insurers use family history to calculate risk they have declared a voluntary moratorium on using adverse test results (now extended until 2011) with some exception for large policies.

There has been increasing interest in the implications of any use of genetic information by employers.

Do you think that genetic discrimination - the wrongful or unfair use of genetic information - could become a problem in our society?