Say you’re about to start in vitro fertilization and your clinic offers you a futuristic new option: It can analyze the DNA of the embryos you conceive and let you choose which one to implant based on their genes.
No guarantees, but you can shoot for the best odds that a future baby will be as genetically healthy as current science can ascertain, with lower risks for common diseases like diabetes and cancer. Sound good?
About two thirds of Americans would say it does, recent Harvard research suggests. Nearly one third of those surveyed even say they would consider going through IVF for the sole purpose of such genetic screening.
At issue is the idea that historically, the evil of eugenics “was that it was forced on people,” says Harvard Law School bioethicist Glenn Cohen, referring not only to Nazi atrocities but also to coerced sterilization in the United States and elsewhere. The defenders of genetic selection of IVF embryos, however, point out that this involves “private choice by private individuals,” as Cohen summarizes the position.
