Choices: Prenatal Testing and the Life of the Fetus
Episode Synopsis
ID: DC242265
Documentary
2022
30 MINS
EN
Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has become widespread in Japan. About 90 percent of people who are diagnosed with a high risk of fetal disabilities like Down syndrome choose to end their pregnancy. I, the director of this program, have a younger sister, Sae, who has Down syndrome. When I asked my mother if she would have been tested, had NIPT been available, she responded, “Given my state of mind then, I would have, and if risk had been detected, Sae might not have been born.”
I interviewed people who have faced these decisions. After a prenatal test that indicates abnormalities, some people chose to end the pregnancy and others gave birth. I discovered realities behind these decisions that I hadn’t imagined. What is needed in society today, and what can each of us contribute? This is a personal documentary centered on dialogue with those who grappled with these issues.
Preview Video
Production
Materials
Related Programs
-
Hanabishi - The Fireworks Masters -
Documentary199327 MINSEN ES -
The Cormorant Catcher - Supporting the Ancient Sport of Cormorant Fishing -
Documentary199327 MINSEN ES -
Urushi - The Traditional Art of Japanese Lacquer -
Documentary199427 MINSEN ES -
Wara - The Technique of Wrapping with Straw -
Documentary199427 MINSEN ES
