Procreating Responsibly: the Case of Prenatal Diagnosis in Bulgaria

Abstract

This paper examines the practice of prenatal diagnosis in Bulgaria as an emerging mode of genetic governance, bringing new notions and norms of responsible procreation and "good" parenthood. Firstly, an overview is provided of some of the key controversies that have emerged during the routinization of prenatal testing and the selective termination of affected pregnancies, focusing on the potential of the new genetics to mould identities and communities in novel ways. Secondly, the local framing of prenatal disgnosis and selective abortion is presented, arguing that this framing actively participates in the construction and reinforcement of genetic norms of the "good" parenthood. The "good" parent is genetically responsible if she opts for the selective abortion of the affected pregnancy.