[In the spring of 2016], the Senate unanimously passed Bill S-201, which would prohibit and prevent genetic discrimination in Canada. The legislation is now before the House of Commons. We believe that Canadians need to be more informed about why this legislation should…become law.
We are in the midst of a genetic-technology revolution the impact of which will only be realized through protection against consequences of DNA information.
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There are documented cases of entrepreneurs and homeowners unable to get life insurance to back up their loans because of the results of genetic testing. There are cases of workers looking to develop their careers, and families hoping to adopt a child, but due to real or perceived genetic features, they are not promoted or selected as parents.
These experiences are not unique to Canada. But unlike Canada, 26 countries have policies to protect their citizens against genetic discrimination. Canada lags behind. We have a chance to rectify this with Bill S-201.
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It’s time for our laws to catch up with the science.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Why we need a law to prevent genetic discrimination
