Präimplantationsdiagnostik als Regelungsgegenstand österreichischer Reproduktionstechnologiepolitik

Abstract: The study discusses the topic of preimplantation genetic diagnostic (PGD) as an object of regulation in Austrian reproductive medicine policy. It has two main focuses: On the one hand it shows the political processes and public discussionsconcerning PGD in Austria; on the other hand it explicates the meanings which PGD acquired in Austria in this connection. After an introduction about the relevance of PGD as an object of political regulation, about the medical-technical procedures and forms of clinical applications of PGD, the legal framework for applying PGD in Austria is presented. Then the process of policy formulation, basically covering the period between 1999/2000 and 2008, is described in detail. Finally, the meanings ofPGD are discussed. It is argued that the central meanings of PGD condense around the notion of the designer baby, which can be connected both to positive and negative appraisals of PGD.