Study Reveals Public Opinion on Polygenic Embryo Screening for IVF

June 7, 2024

(Harvard Medical School) – Three out of four adults in the U.S. support the use of emerging technologies that estimate a future child’s likelihood of developing certain health conditions influenced by multiple genes — such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression — before an embryo is implanted during in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a new public opinion survey led by researchers at Harvard Medical School.

Results of the survey, published May 14 in JAMA Network Open, underscore the need for public education and conversation about the potential positive and negative implications of these ethically fraught technologies, the researchers said. (Read More)