Over the course of the past decade, DNA testing to discovery multiple different components of an individual's background has become increasingly popular. This is due to the products ability to trace someone’s ancestry and discover if the individual is more prone to be diagnosed with certain diseases. The companies that produce genetic testing products to obtain this information are 23andMe, Genos, Veritas, etc. 23andMe genotypes, Genos analyzes the DNA, and Veritas sequences the genome of the customer. The process can last anywhere from 3-5 weeks. The first step includes collecting salivary samples from an individual, which contains DNA that will be isolated and analyzed. After the DNA has been identified it is sent to a third party to be evaluated. Finally, the information to discovery the individual’s ancestry and certain health- risks are found and communicated. The results of DNA testing products have been deemed as accurate and trustworthy tools for customers.
The different diseases they look for are Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's, and ways to prevent obtaining these diseases. For example, they will tell you different nutritional facts and diets that would help the customer. Specifically, 23andMe and Veritas discover if the person is a carrier of a gene that is prone to develop a certain disease. Veritas can determine if the customer is prone to carry autosomal recessive disorder.
Personally, I think DNA testing is exciting and something I have been interested in especially because of the ancestry component. I was unaware of how it was able to tell you so many specifics about what diseases you could be prone to, and I believe that is very valuable information. I would try to adjust my lifestyle according to what they instructed me to do. The past few years my grandmother has been struggling with Alzheimer’s and I would love to have my genes tested to see if I share similar genes to her that code Alzheimer’s. Also, I have a sister adopted from China and we have barely information about her background, so genetic testing could help us understand how to give her the healthiest lifestyle, know if she has any autosomal recessive disorders, etc.
It is scary to think about genetic companies having that information and trusting them with it to keep it confidential. However, the benefits of it outweigh the cons. If you consented or agreed for the medical community to use your DNA results, then that is understandable and could potentially help further modern medicine. If someone’s DNA results can save thousands of lives by the medical community creating a cure or treatment for a variety of diseases from it, then that is something customers of genetic testing companies should investigate allowing their results to be used. If the use of DNA testing does drastically improve lives, then the medical community probably would issue getting DNA samples for everyone. DNA testing becoming more and more popular could also affect health insurance. I would not want insurance companies to have that information, because they would probably raise your insurance costs if you were prone to have certain diseases.
23andMe. (n.d.). DNA Genetic Testing & Analysis. Retrieved from: https://www.23andme.com/?new=true.
Genos. (n.d.). Crowdsourcing Cures on your terms. Retrieved from: https://genos.co/.