On Sunday, 60 Minutes profiled author Malcolm Gladwell on his new book about underdogs. In a previous book Blink, Gladwell explored how we think without thinking. His writing explains why some people laugh at the notion of non-directive counseling about prenatal testing. Continue Reading
November 27, 2013
Is non-directiveness in prenatal genetic testing a myth?: Gladwell’s Blink and implicit associations of Down syndrome
November 26, 2013
Aldous Huxley and the Brave New World of prenatal genetic testing
In marking the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK, I also remembered the death on that same day of noted author C.S. Lewis. But, I failed to mention the death of another author whose best-known work is regularly referenced in reports about prenatal genetic testing. Continue Reading
November 25, 2013
“Any/Particular” critique of disability selective abortion: remembering Adrienne Asch
Over the weekend, an important voice in the discussion of the ethics of prenatal testing for disability fell silent. Adrienne Asch made critical contributions from a seemingly conflicted position: vigorously pro-choice but condemning of selective abortion for disability. Continue Reading
November 19, 2013
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here …
Today is the 150th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln predicted that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here." By marking this anniversary, hopefully we will prove Lincoln wrong. Continue Reading
November 8, 2013
Not a termination rate. An elimination rate.
If you haven't noticed, a while back I added a "News" page to the blog (you can find the link under the tab for "Articles" on the homepage). Here's a news item where a 90% termination rate would actually be lower than what is happening. Continue Reading
November 7, 2013
My daughter is not a ret*rd: Sephora’s Celebut*rd, Miami Dolphins’ N-word, & 12 Years a Slave
How a lipstick label, hazing in the NFL, and an Oscar-favorite film inform how we view other people: Continue Reading
November 6, 2013
The Case for Conserving Disability
Following up on a previous post, here's highlights from "the case for conserving disability" by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson. I hope the quoted selections below suggest the ability to completely change your perspective on disability that Garland-Thomson's article did when I read it. Continue Reading
November 4, 2013
We are all uniquely written (not like a set of encyclopedias)
In 2008, I attended the American Congress of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) annual convention where the keynote address compared our genetic code to a set of encyclopedias. Here's how newer genetic testing is rewriting this metaphor for who we are. Continue Reading
October 17, 2013
What have we learned about the new Down syndrome prenatal test?
In 2011, a new prenatal test for Down syndrome entered the market offering earlier, safer, and more accurate results. What have we learned about this new technology since then? Continue Reading
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