Your DNA Barcode: Pros & Cons of DNA Testing
How many of you would take a blood test to learn exactly how long you will live? How about whether or not you will develop dementia? Since the Human Genome Project, many genes and mutations associated with a vast array of diseases are being discovered daily. And now, it’s pretty easy to just put them on “chip” and make them available to the public.
Don’t get me wrong, gene testing has already improved our lives. Such tests can clarify a diagnosis and better direct care, while others allow families to avoid having children with life-threatening or disabling conditions. They can be used to prevent disease before it happens, as with monitoring and removal of colon growths among those who have a gene for familial polyposis. They can diagnose common iron-storage diseases early enough to treat them and prevent them from becoming fatal. They can also help to positively identify murderers two decades after a crime.
Testing for Fertility
Regarding male fertility, genomic testing plays a critical role in diagnosing and treating infertility issues. Genetic abnormalities such as Y chromosome microdeletions or mutations in the cystic fibrosis gene (CFTR), serve to not only explain the root causes of infertility but also to lead to targeted interventions and solutions to the problem
In addition, a clearer understanding the genetic factors that influence male fertility can streamline the care, personalize the approach and predict the success of fertility treatments. With a disease that so profoundly affects those with it, increasing both the efficiency and effectiveness of treatments has great value.
Ethical Quandaries
One problem with genomic testing is that the gene-disease database we are tapping into for information is still incomplete. We simply don’t know all of the genes behind many diseases. What can be problematic is when commercialized gene tests are targeted to healthy people who might be at high risk for a disorder because of a strong family medical history. Unfortunately, because of how complex we are as biological organisms, the tests offer only a “probability” for developing the disorder. That means that some people who carry a mutation may never develop the disease, or that others without any identified risk based on current knowledge end up with the disease. Another limitation is the issue of laboratory error, which could lead to incorrect information.
And what happens to your job prospects and health (or life) insurance rates when it is learned through genetic testing that you might develop a significant disease? Well… nothing. Because of the federal GINA Law (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act) passed in May 2008, insurance companies and employers cannot discriminate on the basis of information derived from genetic tests. So, genetics has now been added to the list of characteristics first embodied by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which states that U.S. employers cannot discriminate according to race, color, national origin, sex, or religion. And this is a good thing.
So, go ahead and take the “23 and Me” or “Invitae” (https://www.invitae.com/) genomic screens if you so desire. Get to know your DNA barcode. Maybe you will get an idea of what may be around the corner for you. And maybe, just maybe, you will take better care of yourself knowing more about your genes. Just understand that many in the medical community feel that uncertainties surrounding test results, the current lack of available treatment options, the tests’ potential for provoking anxiety, and social stigmatization could outweigh the benefits of testing. There can be some truth to saying “ “too much information.”