Exercise of Human Rights to Preserve, Modify and Protect Genetic Information

The rapid development of genetic technologies, the sequencing of the human genome, and the expanding practice of using genetic information in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology inevitably bring to the forefront the issue of legal protection of a person from the improper use of their genetic data. Genetic information is no longer just a part of personal data; it is a new type of information that does not fall under either personal data or medical confidentiality and is subject to special legal protection due to the fact that such data is inextricably linked to the individual, their dignity, including intangible benefits such as spirituality, integrity, and individuality. The category of personal dignity in relation to genetic data acquires particular significance. It concerns the inadmissibility of reducing a person to their biological characteristics, the protection against genetic discrimination, and the right of a person to independently determine the fate of their genetic information. In this context, it is appropriate to speak of the formation of bioethical personal dignity as a complex legal value that includes the right to informational autonomy, bodily integrity, and protection from any forms of reductionism in which a person is considered solely as a carrier of the genetic code.