Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Testing

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Genetic testing is a medical test that analyzes a patient’s DNA and can help identify any genetic predispositions a person is at risk of developing or passing onto his or her offspring. Genetic tests were only done in hospital settings or clinical settings at first, but with new technology and the development of large co-operations, genetic tests can now be ordered online and done at home. Genetic tests that are completed, but not sanctioned by a physician, nurse practitioner, or genetic counselor, are direct-to-consumer genetic tests. They target people through advertisements on social media. While the direct-to-consumer genetic tests promote people to take an active role in their healthcare and help to promote genetic disease awareness, there …show more content…
The results of the self-administered genetic test can cause more harm than good to the customer. People that go through health services have the opportunity to talk to a qualified person about what to expect from the results and how they will deal with their results. Direct-to-consumer genetic testing skips this part of the process, so the patient is more likely to, “make unwarranted, and even irrevocable, decisions on the basis of test results and associated information, such as the decision to terminate a pregnancy, to forgo needed treatment, or to pursue unproven therapies” (Hudson, Burke, Byers, & ASHG Social Issues Committee, …show more content…
Many people use companies like 23andMe and deCODEME to learn more about their ancestry. These tests can also, however, be used to calculate a person’s genetic predisposition to acquiring a disease. The tests are referred to as direct-to-consumer genetic tests because they bypass visiting a medical practitioner. On the surface, these tests seem to help promote health awareness in society and give people affordable and easy access to access it, but direct-to-consumer genetic testing can cause more harm to a customer. The direct-to-consumer genetic tests are not always accurate because the FDA does not approve the technology and tests they use. Even though the companies warn that the tests are for only educational purposes only, many customers still use them to diagnose themselves. Since the accuracy of the tests can be called into question, patients may undergo more tests and procedures that cause them more harm. It also puts an unnecessary emotional strain on the customer, if the test results are less than desirable. A person’s privacy may also be breached because the laws set to protect a person’s genetic privacy enter a gray area when it comes to direct-to-consumer genetic tests. The implementation of more regulatory laws for direct-to-consumer genetic testing would help protect the
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