Winning the “Second Chance”: Prenatal Genetic Testing, Personal Choices and National Future

• In Event: Reproductive Governance in East Asia

Abstract

Chinese government in 2016, loosened its notorious one-child policy and every couple is allowed to have two children. In the meantime, Chinese government determines to promote the so called “precision medicine” aiming to provide the individual health care plan for every person. I would argue such motion in return reinforced yousheng policy in the field of prenatal genetic tests. In addition, the booming biotech genetic testing companies offer more “choices” for the couples through the geneticist working in clinics. Under such circumstances, this paper aims to closely examine how the prenatal genetic tests are practiced for those whose first child has certain genetic abnormality. Using prenatal genetic test as a case, I intend to show how the state sees life can be (re)produced as bio-capital and envisions the national future can be well managed by the rationality of every population policies. In the laboratory, through routinized practices of genetic testing , life indeed is separated as the bare and the bio, seemingly manageable. However, I also intend to show that such rationality is embraced and challenged by the actors involving in the network consisting of clinicians, geneticists, salesperson, couples as well as the children and even fetus in the everyday practices of prenatal genetic testing.

Author

• Jianfeng Zhu, Fudan University, China