‘Science for survival’: biotechnology regulation in Israel

Prainsack, Barbara; Firestine, Ofer

doi:10.3152/147154306781779145

Cited by 32 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…In Israel technology is highly valued and therefore new tests are rapidly endorsed, with often little discussion of their medical, social, and ethical ramifications. 40 Consequently, the experiences of the participants in our study may not be representative of those of women in other countries with different health systems, views, and cultural backgrounds. In addition, all the participants in our study were well educated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Although the women acknowledged the lack of efficient surveillance for the early detection of ovarian cancer, the consequence of the procedure, namely, early onset of menopause (given that most participants were premenopausal) meant that it was not an easy decision. In total, four women (37,40,49, and 62 years of age) opted to undergo RRSO after a positive BRCA test result, and one other woman had already undergone oophorectomy for other reasons. The majority of the women (nine) were still unsure of the appropriate timing for RRSO, because they were not yet sure whether they had reached their desired family size, because they were not yet married/had no children, or because they feared the side effects of early menopause.…”

Section: Original Research Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

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BRCA genetic testing of individuals from families with low prevalence of cancer: experiences of carriers and implications for population screening

Shkedi‐Rafid

Gabai-Kapara

Grinshpun‐Cohen

et al. 2012

Genetics in Medicine

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Purpose: BRCA genes are associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. Guidelines worldwide currently recommend BRCA genetic testing in asymptomatic individuals only if they belong to "high-risk" families. However, population screening for BRCA1/2 may be the logical next step in populations with a high prevalence of founder mutations, such as Ashkenazi Jews. This study aimed to explore (i) the impact of a positive BRCA genetic test result on individuals who have neither a personal history nor a familial history of cancer and (ii) their attitudes toward the concept of population screening.methods: Semistructured in-depth interviews were carried out with 14 Ashkenazi Jewish women who were asymptomatic BRCA carriers and who belonged to families with low prevalence of cancer.Results: Three main findings emerged: (i) having no family history of cancer was a source of optimism but also confusion; (ii) engaging in intensified medical surveillance and undergoing preventive procedures was perceived as health-promoting but also tended to induce a sense of physical and psychological vulnerability; and (iii) there was overall support for BRCA population screening, with some reservations.conclusion: Women belonging to low-cancer-prevalence families within a "high-risk" ethnic community view BRCA genetic testing positively despite the difficulties entailed, because it allows prevention or early detection of cancer. However, implementing a BRCA population screening program should be carried out with proper pre-and post-testing preparation and support for the individuals undergoing testing.Genet Med 2012:14(7):688-694

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Original Research Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

BRCA genetic testing of individuals from families with low prevalence of cancer: experiences of carriers and implications for population screening

Shkedi‐Rafid

Gabai-Kapara

Grinshpun‐Cohen

et al. 2012

Genetics in Medicine

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“…Such uncritical acceptance of NRTs may correlate with the data that suggest that the ‘Israeli’ preimplantation embryo is not a person. Furthermore, Israeli society has been identified as generally trustful of science and technology, which is perceived to guarantee its existence in a hostile environment 43. The status of the ‘Israeli’ fetus also reflects (and is reassured by) the Israeli legal system, which endows human beings with full legal rights only post partum,27 considers some life to be ‘wrongful’,1 and allows late-stage eugenic abortions 1 25–27…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When does a fetus become a person? An Israeli viewpoint

Rimon-Zarfaty

Raz

Hashiloni‐Dolev

2011

J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care

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Background and methodology‘Biological’ and ‘human’ life or ‘personhood’ are not necessarily identical. While the Catholic Church does not separate the two, concluding that human life commences at conception, Judaism endows the fetus with personhood gradually throughout the pregnancy. Gradualism is also reflected in many Western abortion laws that prohibit ‘late abortion’. Importantly, the Israeli law does not prohibit abortion at any stage of pregnancy. To examine attitudes regarding the status of the fetus vis-a-vis its stages of development, a questionnaire presenting ten successive stages was distributed to Israeli respondents (n = 281). For each stage participants were asked to grade the fetus as having ‘personhood’ or as a ‘living organism’ on a five-point scale. Data were analysed to show frequency distribution.ResultsThe fetus gains its ascribed personhood gradually. Most of the participants perceived the fetus as a person at the stage in which the woman feels its movements. Additionally, many (especially secular respondents) evaluated the fetus as a living organism at earlier stages, thus making a distinction between the fetus as a living organism and as a person. An international comparison with English-speaking countries revealed a local ‘Israeli’ tendency to attribute personhood status to the fetus only at a relatively late stage.Discussion and conclusionsThe ‘Israeli’ fetus acquires its status gradually. This finding challenges the dichotomous conceptualisation of the fetus as ‘a person’ or ‘non-person’. The authors conclude by presenting the perceived transformation of the fetus to ‘personhood’ as being influenced by national and religious factors.

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“…This case study has illustrated some of the social, cultural, historical, laboratory and pragmatic practices which influence how genetic medicine and research have developed in relation to Ashkenazi Jews and its intersection with Jewish identity. Ashkenazi Jews have actively participated in genetic medicine and research because it reiterates a shared history and addresses culturally salient issues such as the survival of future generations (Kahn, 2000;Prainsack and Firestine, 2006;Wailoo and Pemberton, 2006;Prainsack, 2007;Mozersky, 2009). One consequence is that they have become, and continue to be, more researched in relation to breast cancer genetics compared to other populations.…”

Section: Population Screeningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Case studies in the co-production of populations and genetics: The making of ‘at risk populations’ in BRCA genetics

Joseph

2010

BioSocieties

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This article presents two case studies in the development of BRCA genetic medicine in relation to specific 'populations' in the United Kingdom and United States, juxtaposing an 'over researched Ashkenazi Jewish population' in the United Kingdom and 'medically underserved populations' in the United States. Each case explores the research and clinical practices, as well as social, cultural and biological histories, through which population and genetics are coproduced (Jasanoff, 2004). In the first case study, ethnographic and qualitative data in the United Kingdom highlight the ways in which genetic medicine, research and disease can become intertwined with specific aspects of Jewish culture and history, and the effect this has on how this population responds to, and takes up, genetic testing and screening programmes. The second case study describes the intersection of genetic medicine in the form of BRCA clinical practices for 'medically underserved populations' with the discourses and practices of health disparities in the United States, and discusses the effects of this intersection on practices of BRCA genetic medicine and research. The juxtaposition of the two cases sheds new light on some of the specific cultural and biological practices that produce and define populations in local contexts, highlighting the contrasting ways in which BRCA genetic medicine is developing in relation to population.

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‘Science for survival’: biotechnology regulation in Israel

Cited by 32 publications

References 18 publications

BRCA genetic testing of individuals from families with low prevalence of cancer: experiences of carriers and implications for population screening

BRCA genetic testing of individuals from families with low prevalence of cancer: experiences of carriers and implications for population screening

When does a fetus become a person? An Israeli viewpoint

Case studies in the co-production of populations and genetics: The making of ‘at risk populations’ in BRCA genetics

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