Genetic counselling is essentially a communication process about medical facts, the contribution of heredity to certain conditions, the interpretation of test results, and the options available. The process involves pre-test counselling as well as post-test counselling to enable the individuals to face the situation and take appropriate decisions with the right frame of mind. The ethical principles that govern the attitudes and actions of counsellors include respect for patient autonomy, beneficence, to benefit others, preventing physical and mental harm along with proper justice.
The inherited nature of the disease has been long recognised. Now with the advent of ultimate release of the human genome map, tremendous advances have been made in the area of molecular genetics which has not only led to the identification of a large number of disease-causing genes. This change has also…
