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Commercial Genetic Testing in Mainland China: Social, Financial and Ethical Issues

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Abstract

This paper provides an empirical account of commercial genetic predisposition testing in mainland China, based on interviews with company mangers, regulators and clients, and literature research during fieldwork in mainland China from July to September 2006. This research demonstrates that the commercialization of genetic testing and the lack of adequate regulation have created an environment in which dubious advertising practices and misleading and unprofessional medical advice are commonplace. The consequences of these ethically problematic activities for the users of predictive tests are, as yet, unknown. The paper concludes with a bioethical and social science perspective on the social and ethical issues raised by the dissemination and utilization of genetic testing in mainland China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IIAS (International Institute for Asian Studies), Nonnensteeg 1-3, 2311 VJ, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Suli Sui & Margaret Sleeboom-Faulkner

  2. Department of Anthropology, Sussex University, Brighton & Hove, UK

    Margaret Sleeboom-Faulkner

Authors
  1. Suli Sui
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  2. Margaret Sleeboom-Faulkner
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Correspondence to Suli Sui.

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Sui, S., Sleeboom-Faulkner, M. Commercial Genetic Testing in Mainland China: Social, Financial and Ethical Issues. Bioethical Inquiry 4, 229–237 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-007-9062-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-007-9062-5

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