A government-appointed advisory panel listed 24 recommendations covering issues such as confidentiality and the application of gene technology in a bid to ensure genetic testing is carried out ethically and responsibly.

The recommendations by the Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC) will be distributed to 114 organisations and made available online for public discussion before they are finalised and put into legislation.

Genetic testing, or the examination of a person's DNA for inconsistencies indicating a disease or disorder, is gaining popularity in high-tech Singapore.

"Greater understanding of the human genome and advances in gene technology have provided the medical profession with improved tools in diagnosis and management of patients," BAC chairman Lim Pin said.

"However, with the increasing availability and easy accessibility of genetic tests, ethical concerns arise. Guidelines are thus required for the conduct of genetic testing in both the clinical and research setting."

This is to ensure that tests are undertaken voluntarily, that individuals' privacy and the confidentiality of the information are protected and applications of the new technologies are not abused, he said.

The recommendations include the sole use of genetic information for healthcare purposes, prohibiting sex selection in babies and discouraging over-the-counter sales of "predictive" genetic testing kits.

Most of the recommendations were derived from existing clinical practices in hospitals and laboratories, said committee member Yap Hui Kim.

"The purpose of this (report) is to formalise (current practices), in a sense that we have now got a formal paper to act as a guide for future developments," Yap said.

                                                      Home