Philosophical article: expository and analytical on Laura PurdyExpository:In Laura Purdy's account of Genetics and Reproductive Risks: Can Having Children Be Immoral?, Purdy's claim is that conceiving a child is immoral when there is reasonable concern of a genetic disease and if prenatal screening is not done to check the likelihood of your child getting that disease, then it is wrong. Purdy believes it is immoral to reproduce when you are at high risk of transmitting a disease or defect and argues that it is wrong to reproduce without knowing the consequences of our genome. The birth of a child at risk of a serious defect could be avoided by abortion or by preventing the conception of a child. And conception is only allowed once a person has undergone prenatal screening and if selective abortion is carried out, and those who are against abortion must be extremely careful not to conceive. Laura Purdy gives the example of Huntington's disease, which she says compared to all other genetic diseases, it is an autosomal dominant trait, meaning it has a 50% chance of being passed down from generation to generation. Huntington's disease occurs between the ages of thirty and fifty. It is a progressive disease that leads to constant twitching and irregular movements of the body which ultimately leads to death. Purdy's reasoning for his claim that it is immoral to reproduce without prenatal screening is due to genetic diseases such as Huntington's disease, which make the average person susceptible to prolonged suffering. Purdy also thinks that passing on a genetic disease like Huntington's disease without their consent and putting their well-being at risk is wrong because we don't take the future into consideration. Purdy says that... middle of the paper... minimally satisfactory life, but for now I think Purdy needs to rethink exactly what he means by minimally satisfactory because over time everyone could develop conditions that will make life minimally unsatisfactory. Since health, while it may matter for life to be satisfying, will eventually make everyone's health worse causing pain and suffering, the question is, when will that happen? And when that happens, should we tell people to stop having children because of all the dangerous things in life that can cause pain and suffering and a minimally unfulfilling life? Just because some people may be at high risk of a genetic disease that can lead to a minimally unsatisfactory life, does not mean that they cannot come into the world, since a healthy person who comes into the world can develop a disease or have a terrible accident and just as easily live a minimally unsatisfactory life.