Reproduktive Gesundheit und humangenetische Beratung im Dialog mit der Öffentlichkeit 1969–1996. Schwerpunkt: Konzepte sexueller Gesundheit vom Mittelalter bis zum 21. Jahrhundert

This contribution describes and analyses the dialogue between human geneticists and the public on reproductive health, genetic counselling and disability in the Federal Republic of Germany between 1969 and 1996. We chose a qualitative content analysis of documents from the archives of Human Genetic and Medical History Institutes, University Archives and the Archive of the German Society of Human Genetics, supplemented by a systematic literature search. The results show that human geneticists actively sought dialogue with politicians and the press. Organizations representing patients and people with disabilities joined the discourse later. They were instrumental in voicing their own perspectives and contributed to a paradigm shift towards non-directive genetic counselling in Germany