Genetic testing dangers in the workplace

Germany is moving ahead of the United States in the discussion of regulation of gene testing as screening for employment.

Germany is already ahead of the US in its legal and regulatory ban on cloning of human embryos and has strict laws against using any embryos created after 2002 in stem cell research. There is no regulation of gene testing procedures in the United States, although some States have attempted to prohibit discrimination based on such testing and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are believed to offer some protection.

There are very few diseases that are directly related to a single gene or that are inherited - and expressed - by everyone that has that gene. Most diseases, such as breast cancer and diabetes are multifactorial, meaning that several genes and environmental factors and exposure influence the development of the disease so that testing for a single gene cannot tell us who will and who will not become ill. (See the Human Genome Project Information Web Site)