Genetics, hereditary hearing loss, and ethics

In this article, some of the ethical issues arising from the applications derived from the genome project are addressed in relation to hearing loss and the deaf community. The authors present the issues as a series of questions that audiologists might pose to themselves and discuss with friends informally. Society has the obligation to find answers to these ethical questions. Audiologists, geneticists, and otolaryngologists have a unique understanding of hearing loss disorders and can act as advisors to the public and government officials. An understanding of the issues involved will help in generating a meaningful dialogue about the balance of individual rights with the needs of society.