Pros And Cons Of Genetic Testing

As individuals become proactive in managing their health there has been an increase in the popularity of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing. This increase in popularity further coincides with testing prices declining as a result of advances in technology. With widely accessible testing available to the general public it has become more important for the individual to be well informed. There are various positive and negative consequences connected with all types of DTC genetic testing. Consequences and general knowledge which a individual should be informed on while they are considering getting the test done.

The view over genetic testing starts with establishing necessary definitions and discussing its purpose in our world. To start off, the human body is a complex multicellular system. Every cell in the body is comprised of the same DNA (with some exceptions), which stores our genes. These genes are the set of instructions that encode the proteins necessary to create and maintain the human body. The issue is that some genes can undergo a variety of mutations during development that cause an array of complications or disease. Gene therapy can modify the designated abnormal genes to reach normalcy, while genetic engineering focuses on enhancement and surpassing what is normal. However, the goal of genetic testing is to identify the abnormalities

The medical advances being made feasible by genetic testing are very exciting. It is possible for people with predispositions for genetic defects to know in advance if they will have a healthy child or not. If they find out there is a problem they can choose to terminate the pregnancy or they can prepare in advance for their child's special needs. There is even new technology called Ex Utero genetic testing. This test is performed on eggs fertilized through in vitro fertilization before they are even put in the mother's uterus. Understanding genes in the developing human will help doctors understand the nature of genetic diseases and may lead to countless other medical breakthroughs. Though it is probably a long way off doctors may one day be able to manipulate genes. If this is possible some genetic problems may be cured.

There are two main ways genetic testing places a constraint on a child’s right to an open future. The first of these is that the revelation of a child’s disease status can change his life narrative and the way parents and others treat him, and substantially alter his or her life’s trajectory (Davis _____). Parents may feel guilty or shelter their not-yet-sick

Genetics has become a very important topic of discussion in the healthcare field. There are more and more diseases being linked to certain genes in the DNA. Carrier: Untangling the danger in my DNA, by Bonnie J. Rough, is one example of the modern problems people have to deal with in regards to genetics and genetic testing. The author writes about the problems she faced. She had some very difficult decisions about her possible offspring as well as herself. Rough writes about her struggle with deciding if she should get a genetic test for a gene that causes a disease that has been passed on through her families for generations. The reader also learns about her and her husband’s experience of getting pregnant and the steps they took to try

Genetics are the foundation of every human make up, but most people have little to no knowledge of their own foundation. Though some people believe that the encryption of their genetics ruins the surprise in life, other people want to be as prepared as possible for any issues that are encoded in their genetics and cannot be prevented. Genetic counselors test people of any age to uncover a mysterious condition. Counselors can find the likelihood that an adult will develop cancer or will develop a condition that starts in the late stages of life. With the new knowledge, a patient can be better prepared for their future. Counselors can also complete prenatal work by focusing on the parents’ genetics. They test for conditions like down syndrome

Any couple who's they themselves or their partner's family have a history of certain genetic diseases or disabilities will feel pressured to have this testing done. This topic reminds of the movie Gattica, where parents can now choose what traits their child will have, even removing conditions such baldness and alcoholism. In one scene the parent have chosen to have this done with their second born son, after conceiving their firstborn naturally. When they met with the doctors, the parent express that they only want to insure that their child is healthy and leave the rest up to chance. But the doctor they insist they don't, and they continue with the full procedure. I don't believe this could happen if these testings advances. Today's culture is tries it's best to more accepting of one another, if this continue I don't see future parents opting to do such testings. There will be some who do, but again it will only be a small percentage of potential parents who will do

Third, prenatal genetic screening is an unreliable way to judge one’s quality of life. One reason is that it’s inaccurate, inconsistent, and incomplete. Prenatal genetic screening does not give accurate diagnoses of disabilities, but merely the probability that a possible child might have a mutated gene, which might cause a disorder. In his Second Edition Bioethics text, Lewis Vaughn says that, “…a positive test result (one identifying a mutation) does not guarantee the development of a genetic disorder”. And for more complicated disabilities that are caused by several mutated genes combined with environmental factors, the chances of an accurate test result are even far slimmer. Another reason is that an accurate and positive test result does not necessarily adversely affect the possible child’s quality of life. If a child is born deaf, he is living a life that he has been accustomed to since birth and is not aware of another way of life. His quality of life, to his own awareness and standard, is not affected like it

Prenatal genetic testing has become one of the largest and most influencial advances in clinical genetics today. "Of the over 4000 genetic traits which have been distinguished to date, more than 300 are identifiable via prenatal genetic testing" (Morris, 1993). Every year, thousands of couples are subjecting their lives to the results of prenatal tests. For some, the information may be a sigh of relief, for others a tear of terror. The psychological effects following a prenatal test can be devastating, leaving the woman with a decision which will affect the rest of her life.

If a mother chooses to have tests done, she has many different routes such as an amniocentesis, blood work, or chorionic villus sampling. All of these tests are done to provide more information on the growing fetus. In Marilynn Marchione’s (2014) article, “Prenatal Genetic Testing Helps Pregnant Women Detect Birth Defects”, she interviews Dr. Ronald Wapner, a productive genetics chief at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. Dr. Wapner explains that with the use of prenatal genetic testing, doctors are able to give countless amounts of expecting mothers information about what can cause disabilities such as down syndrome, or severe autism. Doctors can also explain what the prognosis is, and what special care a child may need. He also goes into detail about how many mothers who are 35 years and older are at high risk of having a child with a disability. Wapner believes it is needed to have the tests done for their safety and safety of the fetus. Having tests done will better prepare doctors and expecting mothers to what is happening in the womb. Yes, many expecting mothers are offered screenings with an ultrasound, or a blood test that can detect some common abnormal cell counts, such as down syndrome, but these can not be relied upon alone. Visual chromosome exams for example, will show doctors and parents a majority of potential diseases a child may have. Some prefer it, and some do not. It does not give a definite answer, but it will help parents and doctors look out for symptoms and signs of the diseases. Without warning, or knowledge, a parent may not know what is wrong. With these tests, parents can learn to be more aware, and increase their knowledge of

Genetic testing is done for several reasons. Couples are tested for possible carriers of inherited genetic disorders, and the possibility of passing on the disorder to their offspring. Prenatal testing can be done to diagnosis conditions to allow parents to choose to continue a pregnancy. Lastly, testing can be performed to show whether a person is carrying a gene for a specific disease or disorder. This paper will discuss the genetic family assessment across three generations.

Lippman, Abby. "Prenatal and Genetic Testing: Constructing Needs and Reinforcing Inequities." American Journal of Law and Medicine (n.d.): n. pag. Web. Nov. 2014. <http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/amlmed17&div=8&g_sent=1&collection=journals#23>.

Often people who have disabilities or have family with such an issue look at screening as discrimination because Dr.’s are finding out whether the baby will be healthy or if it will have further issues. The families with such abnormalities continue to believe that it is wrong to conceive a child with disabilities and further abort it rather than continue. Opponents fear the result of aborting with screening procedures and thinks it expresses a side of negativity to people who are disabled. According to The New York Times, a mother of three, Amy Becker states, “I declined the bloodwork, amniocentesis, and declined to return the insurance calls to line me up with a nurse for my pregnancy”. Becker has a child with down syndrome, the oldest. The doctor’s assured Amy that “Penny”, the oldest, would have learning disabilities and development wouldn’t come easy. Penny was smart, and was able to tell small tales and sing songs about fairytale dreams. She was also able to at the age of two point out a man in distress in a book and want to help him. There are many forms of down syndrome and they can often lead to issues with internal organs such as the heart. According to the NIH, “almost one half of babies born with down syndrome have congenital heart disease”. Doctors also concluded that due to the abnormality that children with down syndrome have often lead to other issues such as

People may feel angry, depressed, anxious, or guilty about their results. In some cases, genetic testing creates tension within a family because the results can reveal information about other family members in addition to the person who is tested. Also, a patient may feel guilty and worried when they learn that they passed on an abnormal gene to his/her children. Genetic testing can provide only limited information about an inherited condition. The test often can't determine if a person will show symptoms of a disorder, how severe the symptoms will be, or whether the disorder will progress over time.

Genetic testing is a relatively new and rapidly emerging field. Even though this science was seen as controversial, genetic testing has been going on for conditions such as phenylketonuria and sickle cell disease for years.