The German parliament approved legislation Friday limiting the use of genetic testing in an effort to prevent the technology's abuse. The law, which was debated for more than seven years, must still go before the upper house of parliament, but it is not expected to meet any resistance.
Under the law, genetic tests can only be carried out by a doctor and require the full consent of all parties involved. That makes it illegal to conduct anonymous paternity tests and anyone found in
violation could be fined up to euro5,000 ($6,525).
The law further limits the use of genetic testing on fetuses to purely medical purposes, meaning parents are prohibited from using it to determine the sex of their unborn children. In addition it prohibits the use of genetic testing for indications of a predisposition to illnesses that appear only later in life, such as breast cancer or diseases of the nervous system.
The law also addresses dissemination of information obtained through genetic testing, including preventing employers and health insurance companies from demanding an employee or potential client
undergo a genetic test or accessing results from previous tests. [my emphasis]
