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This week, in England, people with Down Syndrome and their families, rallied outside Parliament against a discriminatory pre-natal screening proposal that is currently being considered. Their message to politicians? ‘Don’t Screen Us Out’!
 
A new technique, called 'cell-free DNA' testing, is being heralded as a move to reduce the number of miscarriages associated with amniocentesis.  However, LifeSiteNews reports, “Proponents of the test have glossed over the fact that the same pilot study predicts that the new screening will detect 102 more babies with Down’s syndrome every year. As more than 90% of unborn children diagnosed with Down's syndrome in the womb are aborted following a diagnosis, this is likely to mean an increase of 92 abortions for Down's syndrome annually.”

 
Lynn Murray, spokeswoman for the Don’t Screen Us Out Campaign, stated, “We call on Jeremy Hunt to delay the implementation of these new tests till medical reforms are effected to remove the negative effects it would have on the community of people with Down's syndrome. As a parent of a teenage daughter with Down's syndrome, I've had 16 years of seeing the effects of screening on the lives of people with Down's syndrome and their families.”
 
The increase of such testing is worrisome to the Down Syndrome community and should be worrisome to all of society as such testing could potentially wipe out an entire segment of the population.
 
The proposed testing violates the UK's treaty obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to make sure that its health policies are informed by and reflective of a 'social model' understanding of disability.  UNESCO has also issued a warning about implementing these sorts of tests into national programs.

 
The rally was an important statement by the Down Syndrome community.  While government officials may feel they are doing a service by offering such screenings, these tests do not respect the dignity of the person with the condition.  Rather than investigating new treatments, these tests imply that we can fix Down syndrome by eliminating the people who have it.  This is an unacceptable answer.
 
Sarah Hoss, spokeswoman for Future of Downs, said it best when she stated, "It is important that families are provided with support and up to date information about the condition so that they feel empowered to make informed choices when it comes to undergoing tests and not feel pressured into having terminations when a trisomy is identified during pregnancy."