share: The $399 retail DNA test -- would you be interested?
Each year, Time magazine selects an invention of the year, something that in its way was totally revolutionary. Last year, it was Apple's iPhone; the year before that it was YouTube. This year, it's a $399 retail DNA test,
which you can take at home and learn your genetic disposition for 90 different conditions, from dyslexia to gallstones, from your chances of getting certain kinds of cancer to how well you detect bitterness.
The test is called 23andMe (which stands for the 23 pairs of chromosomes in the human DNA), and the way it works is this: You go to the website and order the kit. It includes a saliva test that you take and mail back, which is then interpreted.
Would you be interested in taking such a test? Would you want to know if you have a higher chance of a specific disorder or disease? Do you see it as the best way of getting health information about yourself, or a worrisome precedent that could lead to abuse?
If you are in the latter group, you're not alone. Here's a paragraph from the Time article:
"In May, President George W. Bush signed a bill that makes it illegal for employers and insurers to discriminate on the basis of genetic information. California and New York tried to block the tests on the grounds that they were not properly licensed, but have so far been unsuccessful. Others worry about how sharing one's genetic data might affect close relatives who would prefer not to let a family history of schizophrenia or Lou Gehrig's disease become public. And what if a potential mate demands to see your genome before getting serious? Such hypotheticals are endless. And some researchers argue that the tests are flawed. "The uncertainty is too great," says Dr. Muin Khoury, director of the National Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who argues that it is wrong to charge people for access to such preliminary and incomplete data. Many diseases stem from several different genes and are triggered by environmental factors. Since less than a tenth of our 20,000 genes have been correlated with any condition, it's impossible to nail down exactly what component is genetic. "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing," says Dr. Alan Guttmacher of the National Institutes of Health."
What do you think? And despite the concerns, would you be interested enough to try?
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Wow! When I first read this, I was thinking it was a great idea, but like all great ideas, there are major "side effects". The internet has been wonderful but gambling, porn and drug addicts have been given a huge outlet to allow their addictions to fester and bloom. Cyber bullies have faster and easier access to their victims and "shopaholics" have 24/7 retail freedom. All of the above can be considered unfortunate side effects to what is a great invention.
I'm sure many of us would not be born if our parents had access to a test like this and acted on the results.
I was all set to take a BRACA test but now am holding off for fear any results will be used against me with future employment, for health insurance or life insurance.
And I'm sure there are some people out there who will ultimately demand their prospective spouse to take one of these tests. A genetic prenuptial, if you like. All in the search for the perfect spouse who will produce the perfect offspring and be healthy for life.
I think curiosity might edge me toward that test, as information is a powerful tool and I may be better able to spot warning signs or get tested for various conditions that I may be susceptible to. Then again, we all know what curiosity did to the cat. What if I receive information that is wrong? Or I become a depressed defeatist, thinking a certain disease or condition is inevitable? Information is only valuable if it serves a constructive purpose.
From immediately thinking this test would be fascinating - and worthwhile - further reflection makes me believe that I'd think long and hard about taking it.
November 21, 2008 - 1:31pmThis Comment