Poll: Should/would you check a potential mate's genes against your own?

[Thaluikhain]

Inspired by the incest related poll going on. Possible genetic problems for any offspring of an incestuous union has been cited many times as a reason why it should stay illegal.

I was wondering, though, how this affected people's view on couples that weren't related, but that had increased risk of abnormal children.

Would you check a potential mate's genetics/family history to see if you and they might have an increase risk of an abnormal child, and would this effect who you choose to have children with?

Also, do you think this sort of thing should be legislated for, for the same reason that incest is?

Stupid not working poll. The four options should be:

People should have to, and I would
People should have to, but I wouldn't
People shouldn't have to, but I would
People shouldn't have to, and I wouldn't

 

[Tsaba]

Why? Genes have nothing to do that makes that person, they could have the worst genes in the world, but, have the best personality.

 

[Lionsfan]

You're poll is broken (for me anyway), I can't see what the last two options are. As for myself I don't think people should have to, and it's not something I would do

 

[Veloxe]

I remember an episode of House where Cuddy basically did this, that was a good episode. It's an interesting situation, if you're basically just looking to reproduce then sure, go for it. If it's more about a life partner thing then I don't really think it should matter.

 

[Zantos]

Checking if they're related to you is something that you shouldn't have to do, but if you're worried about that sort of stuff then, well, that's just a wierd dating life you have there.

If it's to eradicate "inferior genes" then, well, they can try, but anyone with the will and the ability can still make it to Jupiter. With a little help from a doctor and an alcoholic.

 

[Tsaba]

Great movie, think you should look into it.

 

[Lilani]

-snip-

No, I wouldn't. However I think it's rather silly to have us decide if others should do it or should not. Figuring out if your spouse is predisposed to having children with certain genetic problems is a very personal matter. To suggest that we pre-screen everyone before sex to minimize the risk is moving towards Gattaca--a world of genetically flawless humans. A world so caught up in having the perfect DNA that if yours isn't perfect, you'll never be given a chance to succeed.

EDIT: Gah, ninja'd on the Gattaca thing. Anyway, take a look at the clip in the post above this one to see what I'm talking about.

 

[EllEzDee]

Considering how the population has increased a fuckton since the dawn of man, i'd imagine we're all inbred somewhere down the line.
And that's scary...

 

[Mesca]

No...no it's probably best we don't start permitting or denying breeding based on someone's pedigree...

You're thinking of it too much as a eugenic issue, we already do gene tests like this. It's not so much of, "Let's not let these people breed," it's "Holy shit, if I have a kid with this person, the kid has a good chance of having a terminal illness." Nobody is forced to do anything, and they can still get married and have kids if they want.

Ashkenazi Jews are all tested as teens because of the high rate of genetic disorders within their population. When you meet someone you want to have a serious relationship with, you check each other's genes. If you're both carriers for something like Tay-Sachs, which before these tests, was endemic to many Jewish populations, then your child will die a horrible death.

That being said, we do tests like this in normal populations as well, if you're a Huntington's carrier, you won't have it, but if you have a child with a Huntington's carrier, the child will have it.

 

[Jadak]

The only thing I'd even consider checking for is something along the lines of hereditary diseases, like Huntington's. Even then, I'm not sure what decisions I'd make based on that knowledge, but it's information I'd want to have.

 

[Xanadu84]

Why? Genes have nothing to do that makes that person, they could have the worst genes in the world, but, have the best personality.

...And Huntingtons, heart disease, schizophrenia, cancer prone, or one of a million debilitating, painful, life ruining conditions. And in all reality, there's probably a pretty massive genetic component to personality as well. I really hate to be so absolute about this, but saying that genes have nothing to do with what makes a person is just...factually wrong.

And yes, I absolutely would check my genes against a partner, particularly for genetic disorders. I think its a moral obligation to try to prevent your child from suffering, and everyone should do so if given the opportunity. Now, theres no real, morally acceptable way to enforce that, so it's a moot point in many ways, but it is still something that should be done.

Evolution s a nasty, cruel, uncaring and inefficient process, and only by being mindful of what sort of system we are propagating do we take a step against endless suffering, and control our destiny as a species. Its either we direct our own evolution through our understanding, or we use animals methods, which generally involves long term processes that put events like the Holocaust to shame in terms of scale of horror.

 

[Kortney]

I may sound like a horrible person, but if I found out my partner had family history with incredibly serious inheritable illnesses I'd kind of not want to have kids with him anymore.

 

[Hader]

I probably would. While it's my right to have kids with whomever I wish (assuming of course this isn't incest and demographically is just a random female I am with), I believe I owe any possible children of mine the duty of making sure there isn't some high chance of them having a birth defect or disease caused by the mixing of our genes. It would be quite awkward enough for me to find out someone I planned to have kids with might have family relation to me. While I doubt that would ever happen, I still think I owe my possible children a duty of care regardless of the exact situation.

 

[artanis_neravar]

The increase in genetic deformation in incestious couples children is only something around 0.0001%

 

[Custard_Angel]

Shouldn't. Wouldn't.

If you're afraid that your child might have a disease you're clearly not mature enough to accept that whatever happens will happen.