Abortion as a "Cure" for Hereditary Diseases
There is growing support internationally for the genetic testing of teenagers for certain deadly diseases which are genetically caused. One such disease is Tay-Sachs, a progressive neurological disorder which causes death in infancy. It largely affects person of Ashkenazi-Jewish background. Another is Beta-thalassemia, a disease that causes severe anemia and death before 40 years of age. It is mainly found among people of Greek, Italian and Mediterranean background. If a conception occurs between parents who are both carriers, then the fetus has one chance in four of getting the disease. Over the last two decades, about 15,000 teenagers in Montreal, Canada were tested for Tay-Sachs. 521 carriers (1 in 28) were found. About 25,000 students were tested for Beta-talassemia. 693 (1 in 36) were identified as carriers. About 80 fetuses were tested for one of the diseases in the Montreal program; 19 were found to have it; all of the couples chose abortion rather than bring a sick and dying child into the world. The total program cost is $52,000 CDN (about 35,000 US$) per year. The program has come under considerable pressure; in 1994, Quebec's advisory committee on genetics almost succeeded in canceling it. However, the program receives good support within the two communities affected. 

A study of Greek Cypriots in Northeast London, England found that about 1 in 7 carried the thalassemia gene. Very few couples who were both carriers were willing to have children; almost 75% of pregnancies were aborted because of fear of the disease. Since 1975, prenatal testing of a fetus has been introduced. The percentage of abortions has sunk to less than 30%, a near normal figure for Britain. 



References
  1.. National Center for Health Statistics 
  2.. Ohio Right to Life has complied extensive data on the numbers of abortions per 100 live births. Their list is at:http://www.ohiolife.org/stats/perlive.htm 
  3.. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 43, No.50 of 1994-DEC-23; as quoted at: http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/socio/kuechler/309/abo-stat.html 
  4.. Planned Parent Advocates of Michigan at: http://www.ppam.org/facts/96ftsh.html 
  5.. Wayne Millar, Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada 
  6.. Information on the "Post-traumatic Abortion Syndrome" is at: http://www.igc.apc.org/ppfa/ab-emot.html 
  7.. "The Myth of the Abortion Trauma Syndrome,", Commentary in Journal of the American Medical Association, 268:15, 1992-OCT-21. 
  8.. P. Jaworski, moderator. "Thinking About 'The Silent Scream,'" as transcribed in Abortion Rights and Fetal 'Personhood', Ed Doerr, Ed., Centerline Press, 1989. 
  9.. Richard L. Ganz (ed), Thou Shalt Not Kill: The Christian Case Against Abortion", Arlington House Publishers, New York NY (1978) 7 pro-life authors discuss abortion from a medical, psychological, Biblical, historical, legal and moral perspective. 
  10.. Ohio Right to Life, "A Survey of Aborted Women [sic]", at: http://www.infinet.com/~life/aborted/reardon.htm 
  11.. David Reardon, "Aborted Women: Silent No More," Crossway Books, Westchester IL, (1987) 
  12.. Elise Ackerman, "Do reforms mean more abortions?" U.S. News Online at: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/980622/22usnb.htm 
  13.. "New Jersey: Rutgers 'Family Cap' Study to be released today," at: http://www.catholic.org/euthanasia/famcap.html 
  14.. Alan Guttmacher Institute data, quoted in "Fewer Teens Getting Abortions in Virginia," at: http://www.catholic.org/euthanasia/virginia.html 
  15.. U.S. News and World Report, 1998-JAN-19, Pages 20 - 22. 
  16.. Report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,  reported in Religion Today 1998-DEC-4. 
  17.. "Historical National Population Estimates" at: http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/nation/popclockest.txt 
  18.. Alan Guttmacher Institute data, released 1999-JAN. 
  19.. "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report," Centers for Disease Control, Vol. 43, #50, 1994-DEC-23 
  20.. "Abortion Surveillance of 1996," Center for Disease Control and Prevention 
Last updated: 1999-MAR-5
Author: B.A. Robinson