The impact of counselors' values and religious beliefs on their role identity and perspectives on heritable genome editing: a qualitative interview study

This qualitative interview study explored the perspectives of Dutch midwife counselors who identify as religious on prenatal anomaly screening and heritable genome editing (HGE). Eleven counselors (eight Christian, three Muslim) participated. Two main themes emerged: 'a search for role identity as a healthcare counselor' and 'concerns about the application of HGE'. Findings revealed that counselors' values and worldview-based beliefs significantly influence their perspectives on reproductive technologies. They grapple with harmonizing professional roles with personal values, particularly concerning the boundaries of treatment and enhancement, the assessment of disease severity, and societal views on disability. The study highlights the need to incorporate values and beliefs into discussions about HGE acceptability and to improve medical education by balancing professional socialization with individual subjectification.

Wendy P. Geuverink, Janneke T. Gitsels, Martina C. Cornel, Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte, Christina Prinds, Carla G. van El, Linda Martin