According to the US National Library of Medicine, genetic testing is a test that identifies abnormalities in genes, chromosomes, and/or proteins. The results of these tests can inform the patient of potential diseases they are susceptible to or at risk of passing on to their child. Genetic tests can be performed on samples of hair, blood, amniotic fluid, skin, and other tissues. These samples are then taken to a lab where professionals review chromosomes, genes, and/or proteins in search of abnormalities. In most cases, only specific abnormalities are searched for due to suspicion of a specific disorder. Generally the tests have to be ordered by a medical professional and are done as part of a genetic consultation; However, it should be mentioned that recently at home genetic tests have become popular. Genetic testing has many potential effects on society, specifically how humans view and interact with each other.
According to the US National Library of Medicine, at home genetic testing is great in the sense that it aids people in taking charge of their health and understanding more about the roots of their familial tree. However, there are also many negatives that can come along with it. Because genetics aren’t the only thing that affects one’s health (ex: environment and lifestyle play key roles as well), people are at risk of making uninformed decisions about treatment without first consulting a medical professional. Although this is good to know, this paper will focus on the dynamics of traditional genetic testing done in labs.
Genetic testing has many potential benefits. According to the UK science museum, there are around 24,000 different genes in the human body thus one can assume there are many chances for abnormalities; knowing what they mean can help people be proactive about their health. For example, if you knew your gene TCF7L2 had abnormalities (which according to Healthline.com is one of the genes that helps regulate insulin secretion and glucose production) one would be able to know that they have a higher susceptibility to diabetes and in turn could change their diet to try and prevent issues down the road. According to UofM Health, this knowledge can put people at ease and get rid of the anxiety of not knowing. This extends to having children also. Knowing if an abnormality is present that could harm one’s child can make the decision to have children much less scary.
There are also benefits to getting tested now that weren’t there 10 years ago. According to Stanford Medical, testing is now quicker and cheaper than it has ever been before. This can be credited to advancements in technology and more awareness of genetic mutations than in past generations. Also, discrimination due to genetic testing results is mostly protected, according to UofM health. There have been a series of anti-discrimination laws, the most well known being the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, which “prohibits employers using that data to hire, fire or promote and health insurance companies from using it as a pre-existing condition.”
With technology, however, there are always negatives to be found. According to The International Health Centre The Hague many if the risks of genetic counseling are emotional and financial. Many people feel anxious and/or guilty about the results they receive. “Let’s say you find out your kid got something because you passed it down. No matter how much you intellectualize it, you can’t ever discount that the feeling of responsibility or guilt won’t affect you,” says Rajani Aatre, M.S., M.Sc., a genetic counselor at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center. In many situations that deal with emotions, logic doesn’t make an individual feel better. While results can ease anxiety for one patient, they can also cause psychological damage to another. Even if a patient does handle their results well, they’ll still likely be left with a bill at the end. According to the US National Library of Medicine, “The cost of genetic testing can range from under $100 to more than $2,000, depending on the nature and complexity of the test. The cost increases if more than one test is necessary or if multiple family members must be tested to obtain a meaningful result.” Beyond this, the cost of treatment for possible disease susceptibilities can lead to even more money spent. The uncertainty of what the test will reveal can make it hard for people to justify the money spent.
Possibly the most striking risk of genetic testing is the limited information that they reveal about inherited conditions. According to the US National Library of Medicine, most of the time tests can’t tell if a person will indefinitely show symptoms of the disease (except for a few unique diseases such as Huntington's disease) or how acute the symptoms will be. Another limitation is the deficiency in treatment options for most genetic disorders even if they are diagnosed. The combination of these many uncertainties can lead to stress on patients that causes more harm than good.
Overall widespread social implications must be taken into consideration too. There are some effects that will be more far reaching than just one individual and their family. According to the National Institute of Health, normalized genetic testing can lead to divides between various groups by highlighting genetic differences. However, there could also be groups that could be brought closer together. According to the Human Genome Project, there have been no race-specific genes found yet. Thus one can infer that if genetics became the new norm to judge by, many racial issues could potentially go away. Logically, however, this means that new differences would most likely be found to divide humans. According to the US National Library of Medicine division of genetic medicine, “Genetic discrimination refers to discrimination directed against an individual or family based solely on an apparent or perceived genetic variation from the "normal" human genotype.” With this knowledge, one can likely imagine a world where kids who are behind intellectually are no longer called idiot but instead teased for having Fragile X syndrome (which according to the National Fragile X Foundation causes intellectual disability) when in reality the child did not have that disorder. Alternatively, one can likely imagine happy couples being forced apart by their families because one partner has a genetic defect. No one can positively guess where normalized genetic testing could lead to, but it is clear that in order to safely implement it into daily culture people would have to be educated on the limitations of genetic testing. As said by the Human Genome Project, “Thus, if we are to reach the full promise of the Project, society must address the public’s fears of genetic discrimination.”
In conclusion genetic testing has many pros and cons. While it can lead to reduced anxiety over having children, it could also lead to social divides never seen before. Moving forward I think scientists must be aware of what advancements in genetic testing technology could potentially do. Lastly, if genetic testing is to become the “norm” we must make sure to educate people from a young age on what exactly our genes mean and what they don’t. I think educated consumers who know that environment and lifestyle affect human health just as much as genetics will be able to avoid the potential social divides that ignorance could lead to.