The Troubled Helix: Social and Psychological Implications of the New Human Genetics

by Theresa Marteau (Editor)

The availability of increasingly sophisticated information on our genetic makeup presents individuals, and society as a whole, with difficult decisions. Although it is hoped that these advances will ultimately lead the way to the effective treatment and screening of all diseases with a genetic component, at present many individuals agonize over the knowledge that they have or will develop an incurable genetic disease. This book explores and surveys these issues from a variety of perspectives: from personal accounts of individuals coping with the threat of genetic disease, to those of clinicians and scientists, and those concerned with the psychosocial, legal and ethical aspects.

377 pages, Hardcover

First published March 29, 1996