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Review
. 2023 Feb;43(2):226-234.
doi: 10.1002/pd.6217. Epub 2022 Aug 27.

Ethical issues associated with prenatal screening using non-invasive prenatal testing for sex chromosome aneuploidy

Molly Johnston  1 , Chanelle Warton  1 , Mark D Pertile  2 , Michelle Taylor-Sands  3 , Martin B Delatycki  2 , Lisa Hui  3 , Julian Savulescu  4 , Catherine Mills  1
Affiliations
Review

Ethical issues associated with prenatal screening using non-invasive prenatal testing for sex chromosome aneuploidy

Molly Johnston et al. Prenat Diagn. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Prenatal screening for sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) is increasingly available through expanded non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). NIPT for SCAs raises complex ethical issues for clinical providers, prospective parents and future children. This paper discusses the ethical issues that arise around NIPT for SCAs and current guidelines and protocols for management. The first section outlines current practice and the limitations of NIPT for SCAs. It then outlines key guidelines before discussing the ethical issues raised by this use of NIPT. We conclude that while screening for SCAs should be made available for people seeking to use NIPT, its implementation requires careful consideration of what, when and how information is provided to users.

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