ABSTRACT
The association between a genetic condition and a disease, and so the type of information a genetic test reveals, is subject to considerable variation. A discussion of reasons for restricting genetic testing should begin by acknowledging that there is no right to genetic testing. Reasons for restricting certain kinds of genetic tests can be divided into two broad categories. One set of reasons focuses on the time and resources that would be lost by the inappropriate use of genetic testing. The second set of grounds for restricting the availability of genetic tests focuses on claims about the social or psychological harms that individuals might suffer from knowing their test results. The ways in which personal obligations may generate a responsibility to know one's genetic condition have not been given comparable attention, even though they are more widely applicable. Most of us are enmeshed in a network of personal obligations and commitments—to families, dependents, loved ones.
