Ethical Consideration On The Right Not To Know In The Context Of Genetic Testing

With the development of genetic testing technology,a series of ethical problems related to it also appear.Therefore,foreign researchers put forward the concept of the right not to know to solve the possible ethical problems.The meaning of the right not to know is that in genetic testing activities,individuals choose not to be informed of the test results that may cause harm according to their own will and values,and should be respected by others.Under the trend of the development of gene testing technology,people can predict whether they carry disease genes through gene testing,so as to predict whether there is a possibility of disease in the future.Once the disease-causing gene is detected,the test subjects can take targeted measures to cure the disease in advance.However,due to the limitations of medical technology,there is no effective cure for many diseases at present.Therefore,the test subjects are likely to be harmed by knowing the test results of these incurable genetic diseases.In this case,to avoid adverse results,it is particularly important to acknowledge the right not to know.In addition,genetic testing itself also has inherent characteristics such as the possibility of results,technical inaccuracy,gene family association and information risk,etc.These inherent characteristics also aggravate the risk of harm to the tested.Therefore,it is more important to emphasize the maintenance of the right not to know.At present,the right not to know has been stipulated in some international conventions and declarations as well as laws of other countries.China has no relevant laws and regulations on the right knot to know,and relevant theoretical research has just started.The right not to know has been faced with some ethical arguments since it was put forward: the right of not knowing is contrary to the right to know;Contrary to autonomy;Not conducive to the performance of the moral responsibility of family members;There is no moral feasibility to these ethical arguments.However,the right not to know emphasizes making an uninformed choice on the basis of knowing,with the purpose of protecting the interests of the subject.It is not in conflict with the right not to know,and even recognizes the value of the right to know.Moreover,the right not to know is based on autonomy,which is the embodiment of the connotation ofautonomy;The condition of exercising the right not to know is not to harm others,and the contradiction between admitting the right not to know and fulfilling the moral responsibility to others can be reconciled.The right not to know is the right to be exercised before the subject conducts the test,which is a morally feasible operation.The right not to know can be vigorously defended under the theoretical framework of utilitarianism and deontology.The core idea of utilitarianism is that the criterion to judge whether an action is ethical is whether the action can bring good results.Advocating the right not to know can bring more benefits.Therefore,the right not to know conforms to the idea of utilitarianism.Bentham’s theory of individual morality,social utility and mill’s theory of freedom are the theoretical support of the rationality of the right not to know.According to deontology,the criterion for judging behaviors in accordance with rationality lies in a certain moral principle.The right not to know conforms to the principle of autonomy and privacy protection in medical ethics.It also conforms to Kant’s will self-discipline and the rational thought that "People are purpose",and thus conforms to the moral requirements of deontology.In order to give full play to the positive effect of genetic testing technology and reduce the harm that genetic information may bring to the subject.it is necessary to respect the right not to know.In the framework of medical ethics,acknowledged and protected the right not to know is the requirement of respecting the principle of autonomy,advantage and confidentiality in medical ethics.With the continuous development and wide application of genetic testing technology,it is expected that the problem of the right not to know will become more and more prominent.In order to better protect the interests of the subjects,it is of great significance to recognize the right not to know in the form of legislation.At the same time,in the current era when commercialized gene testing has been gradually popularized,establishing the access rules of gene testing and gene counseling service,cultivating professional gene counseling service personnel and mastering the ethical requirements that should be followed by gene testing are conducive to protecting the interests of the tested.To regulate the commercialization of genetic testing companies,we should not only appropriately raise the threshold of access for genetic testing companies,but also require commercial testing companies to take the initiative to assume moralresponsibility and accept the supervision of the ethics committee.