A Health & Wellness Roadmap to the Future?
If you could know whether you were going to get cancer, would you want to know? What if you have a high probability of having depression but don’t respond well to most depression medication? How about if you have a deadly bee allergy?
The analysis of one’s chromosomes, DNA sequencing or as it is widely known, Genetic Testing can provide answers to these questions, and many more. We recently spoke with physicians and consumers about genetic testing and learned about their feelings towards the subject. The responses varied – from a pregnant woman that won’t have the test because regardless, her and her husband will keep the child – to a young man who was adopted and wanted to know more about his genetic history. There are many reasons why people want or don’t want to have a DNA test, one being the financial burden.
Genetic tests have always been cost-prohibitive for many, and that is largely one of the reasons people don’t get the test. However, costs are expected to decrease dramatically over the next few years, opening up the possibility for extensive genome sequencing for more people.
Whether you want to be tested as standard protocol, for preventative measures or just plain curiosity, technological advancements are making genetic testing less of a dream and more of a reality. So, if you could get the test, would you want to know?
October 31, 2014 | Research
