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Pros and cons of genetic testing?

What are the pros and cons of Genetic Testing?

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    I agree with everything posted by X4san. In addition, there are other things that are relevant to genetic testing. (1) There is the decision whether to have children. If you personally would not be able to abort, then you have to decide if you even want to marry. Such was the case in "The Family who Couldn't Sleep", a very large Italian family carrying a dominant gene for a hereditary prion disease which tended to strike after childbearing years were over, and lead to a long, horrible illness in which the sufferer could not sleep for over a year before he or she finally died. The family volunteered for testing for the sake of research, but for decades, they did not want the information disclosed to any member of the family. (2) Insurance problems. If you have a hereditary condition, then except in very rare circumstances, that is a pre-existing condition, if you know about it. Sometimes it is a pre-existing condition anyway, but there are ways of dealing with that scenario. The main problem, here, is that if your insurance carrier gets word that you have a genetic condition that might cost them a lot of money, there are times that they will attempt to treat you differently, and deny claims that they otherwise might fund. So, if you really want genetic testing, make sure that it is confidential. It is certainly worth considering doing the testing privately, so that your doctor knows but your insurance provider does not. They do not get access to information that does not relate to a claim that your doctor or other medical professional submits to them for payment. (3) If you get the testing, you can plan for your future. If you know that you have a certain condition that may require long-term care, you can plan for that in advance. If you know that you did not inherit something that runs in your family, you can make better plans (at least statistically speaking). (4) If you find that you and your spouse are a carrier for something that is treatable in utero, you can get genetic testing for your baby prior to birth, and attempt to treat the baby's condition if necessary. (5) Here is my favorite. Genetic testing can give you a head start on finding out if your child will have a learning disability or a tendency toward one, so that you can get early intervention to remediate the situation as best you can. Often, the difference between academic success and failure hinges on the number of years' head start you get, before kindergarten.

X4san at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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The choice of whether or not to have genetic testing is a difficult one for most families, as there are benefits, limitations, and risks to learning this information. There are many important issues to consider in deciding to be tested; each person should take as much time as they need to make a decision with which they are comfortable Benefits Increased knowledge - Many individuals feel that genetic testing results may provide additional information to use in making medical decisions. In most families, it is not completely clear whether or not a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation is present just by looking at the family history of cancer. A woman may feel that if she carries a BRCA mutation, which is the strongest known risk factor for breast and ovarian cancer, she may make different choices for screening or prevention that she would otherwise. Information for relatives - If a BRCA mutation is found in a family, relatives have the opportunity to undergo genetic testing to learn more about their cancer risk. Emotional Benefits - Determining the underlying cause of their own cancer or family history of cancer may be a relief for some individuals. Risks and Limitations Uncertainty about if and when cancer will occur - The results of genetic testing may determine that a person has an increased risk of developing cancer. However, the results cannot determine exactly which type of cancer the person may develop, if any, or at what age. Confusion about medical options - Long-term studies are still underway to determine the best options for early-detection and prevention in individuals with a hereditary predisposition. Since there is no one right answer, different physicians may have different recommendations for individuals who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Emotional reactions - Learning of genetic testing results may be difficult, leading to feelings of sadness, anxiety, or guilt. As opposed to other medical tests, if a genetic test reveals an inherited gene mutation predisposing to cancer, other family members are directly affected. The sharing of test results between family members may be stressful, as some relatives may receive positive results while others may receive negative results. Finally, feelings of frustration and continued uncertainty may occur if a positive result was expected, when in fact the genetic testing did not find an inherited gene mutations.

The Phoenix

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