In the realm of Gattaca, infants are born through preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD. PGD is a technique in which desirable traits are specifically chosen from each parent and an embryo with those traits is grown in vitro. This results in a child with flawless genetic makeup. These children are superior to their "naturally conceived" counterparts in strength, intelligence, health, and life expectancy.
"Keep in mind, this child is still you. Simply, the best, of you. You could conceive naturally a thousand times and never get such a result." --Geneticist
Gattaca is a space station where only adults with excellent genes, or "valids," are permitted to hold positions. The degenerates, or "invalids," have no hope of prestigious employment and must settle for the dirty work, like janitorial service at Gattaca. Such is the plight of Vincent, the intelligent, yet sadly imperfect hero of the story. Conceived in love and predicted to suffer heart failure by the age of 30, Vincent is nonetheless determined to follow his lifelong dream of going into space. In order to do this, he must secretly cooperate with a retired, paralyzed valid to fake his identity and get a position at Gattaca. When the mission director is murdered however, Vincent must be extremely careful. Something as inconsequential as an eyelash could be enough to ruin his dream forever. With the police on his trail, a budding relationship with his coworker Irene, and an irresistible twist, Vincent is put to the ultimate test. Gattaca gets an A+ for a fascinating story and thrilling plot.
Gattaca is a film that will be remembered as perhaps the best science-fiction movie ever made. Aside from the pure entertainment value of this film, Gattaca carries an undeniable relevance to today's science and sparks some serious ethical debate about the human genome. Perhaps the best place to begin is with the issue directly addressed in Gattaca: career discrimination.
Job discrimination based on sex, race, and religion has already been outlawed by the US government. How about discrimination based on genetics? Is it right for a person to be born with limited opportunities simply because of their genes? What about a case like Vincent, where his determination was greater than his physical limits?
Following are just a few of the ethical issues surrounding PGD, genetic testing, and societal impacts.
There are concerns that insurance companies could raise rates based on knowledge of our genetics. Is this fair? Should insurance companies have access to that information? Who, if anyone, should be granted access to our personal genetic information and what could that effect be?
What would a person's social life be like if all of their acquaintances and friends knew that they are genetically inferior? Would they treat that person differently, and how would society respond to this?
Imagine a scenario where you and your entire family were told as soon as you were born that you are very likely to be affected by a deadly genetic disease, and your life expectancy is around 40. Would you wish to have this information about yourself? How would your family or your children feel knowing this? Would you live your life any differently? Is this for the good or the bad?
Is it ethical to be able to choose exactly what qualities your child will exhibit? Is this natural? Is it right to say that some children are better than others?
Is gender determination a safe and justified use of PGD? Utilizing preimplantation genetic diagnosis for that purpose could increase the frequency of gender imbalance. The effects of gender imbalance are apparent in countries like China and India, where the valued male population is significantly higher than the female population.
In Gattaca, Vincent has a brother who is born via PGD. Automatically, his brother will have more opportunities than he will. Vincent must live his childhood being the inferior child, while his brother is the perfect boy. Is this a fair situation? How would a situation like this effect family life?
PGD can be a very effective means of preventing the birth of children with genetic diseases. For instance, if you or your partner know that you have a likely chance of having a child that will suffer from a genetic disorder and possibly die and untimely death, is it a good idea to pursue PGD? Is this perhaps the only context in which it is acceptable to use PGD?
Finally, is the actual process of PGD ethical? During preimplantation genetic diagnosis, multiple eggs are fertilized. Those that are not wanted are disposed of. Those that are desired are implanted in the mother and a normal pregnancy follows. Is the disposal of these embryos ethical?
There are huge implications behind mastering human genes. The subject matter of Gattaca is not surprising, given that it was made in the midst of the Human Genome project (1990-2003), in the same year as the first mammal cloning, and during a time when the future and reality of genetics was being realized. Gattaca is a beautiful movie, because it clearly suggests a handful of concerns involving the advancement of genetics, while leaving the myriad of others up to the viewer to determine.
It is the responsibility of geneticists, scientists, and citizens around the world to carefully consider the ethics of PGD and "peeking" into a person's genes to predict their medical future. We are faced now with an unprecedented decision, as we have forever changed the definition of "human." These technologies could be used to save lives, or discriminate, alienate, and exterminate. If people do not address these issues in their own personal lives, there is no saying what could result. A world like Gattaca may be much closer than we think.
