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According to a paper presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology earlier this month (see press release), an increasing number of couples are travelling abroad within Europe to seek preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The paper summarised the results of a study funded by the European Commission.

The study found that, frequently, the reason for ‘PGD tourism’ is that treatment is illegal in the couple’s home country. Although free movement to seek services within Europe increases patient choice, there are fears that inconsistent regulation and quality control of PGD could potentially cause harm. For example, lack of monitoring and long-term follow-up of patients could mean that problems arising from the treatment may be missed. Although full implementation of the EU Tissue and Cells Directive should help to harmonise regulatory standards, it appears that at present some centres offering treatment fall short of these standards; moreover, only about a third of centres participate in professional external quality assessment schemes.

The presenter of the paper, lawyer James Lawford Davies, said that couples forced to travel abroad for treatment also often lack adequate support from clinicians in their own country, who fear prosecution if they assist the process in any way. He commented that, as prenatal diagnosis with the option of abortion is available, in at least some of these countries, for couples at risk of having a child with a serious genetic disorder, it might be reasonable for them to consider whether they could regulate PGD rather than banning it altogether.