Public especially concerned about germline editing % of U.S. adults who say gene editing giving healthy babies acceptable a much reduced risk of serious diseases would be more acceptable, less acceptable or make no difference
Asked specifically about this possibility, Americans are more reluctant to embrace gene editing when it could affect future generations. Roughly half of adults (49%) said gene editing would be less acceptable to them if the effects “changed the genetic makeup of the whole population,” versus just 17% who said it would be more acceptable. When asked about an alternate scenario in which the effects of gene editing are limited to a single person, more Americans said it would be more acceptable than less acceptable (34% to 23%).
Public especially concerned about germline editing  | % of U.S. adults who say gene editing giving healthy babies acceptable a much reduced  | risk of serious diseases would be more acceptable, less acceptable or make no  | difference  | More a oceptable  | Less a oceptable  | No d ifference  | If effects were limited to  | that person and could  | 34  | 23  | 40  | not be passed on  | makeup If itchanged the genetic  | 17  | 49  | 31  | makeup ofthe whole  | population  | Note: Respondents ofl who did not give an answerarenotshown. 2-28. 2016  | Source Respondents Survey ofl 5 adults not cond give lucted an answerarenotshown. March 2-28. 2016  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 