Ist pränatale Diagnostik diskriminierend?

Abstract

Prenatal diagnosis is considered by disabled and feminist activists and scientists as ableist and discriminatory. This argument attracts a great deal of attention in ethical and political debates because the poorer treatment of minorities in democratic societies is considered illegitimate. However, the accusation of discrimination is also rejected as unjustified, especially by sociologists and ethicists. Although the argument is explicitly directed exclusively against prenatal diagnosis, abortion often seems to be the actual trigger for criticism after such a diagnosis. In this text I want to shed light on the somewhat confusing discourse and examine the various arguments. This requires a reflection on an adequate concept of discrimination as well as a clarification of the underlying model of disability. The considerations presented here open up further questions and a basis for the debate on the discriminatory effects of prenatal diagnosis.