The current state and legal framework of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in Japan

Because of the rapid advances currently taking place in reproductive technology, Japan is being pressed to adjust its conventional approach to reproductive medicine. One example of the innovations in the technology is the reproductive technique known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD (PGD is seen by some as a reproductive technique that can help couples who are at high risk of passing on serious genetic disorders to their offspring. However, it is a contested technology. Concerns are increasingly being raised about the lack of sufficient public debate and policy discussion concerning the test's ethical and social implications. The need for policy discussions and a comprehensive legal system to control all areas of reproductive medicine, including PGD, should be more widely addressed.