ABSTRACT
This chapter tells the story of the fulfilment of Herman Muller's prophecy and its multiple consequences, some foreseen and others not. It focuses on the history of genetic diagnosis in Western Europe and North America, regions where this diagnostic approach became a quasi-routine biomedical technology. The chapter examines present-time uses of genetic tests, especially in the domain of reproductive choices. Dilemmas produced by "secondary findings" of genetic tests, those performed in the clinics and those marketed directly to consumers, are predicted to intensify following the diffusion of whole exome/whole genome testing, and of non-invasive prenatal testing. Knowledge of one's biological risks is not always a blessing. We may be all "fellow mutants together", but, especially in reproductive health area, each "fellow mutant", may face complicated and stressful choices. Geneticists and genetic counsellors are aware of the presence of problems and dilemmas generated by technological change.
