Pros And Cons Of Direct To Consumer Genetic Testing

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing products have been on and off the shelves in shopping centers for as long as the product has been around. The interest in one’s genetic background has been a prevalent topic for many years. With a cheap price and easy access, the testing products have attracted many consumers to give it a try. Even though there are benefits to direct-to-consumer genetic testing, there are also negative outcomes that can be a result. For this reason, there are many ethical dilemmas that cause these products to be on and off shelves. Since direct-to-consumer genetic testing products are so controversial and baear great risks, they should be off the shelves, and left to medical doctors and practitioners. By learning about the
One of the biggest risks, is the potential dangers to consumers who make impulse and extravagant decisions because of the test results they may receive (Annes 1100). Someone who is getting a genetics test out of curiosity, may learn that they are at higher risk of a disease, such as cancer. When learning that they might be at a higher probability of the disease, this may encourage the consumer to get extremely expensive and invasive testing that is most likely not necessary. Even if someone is trying to confirm the probability of getting a disease that they may know runs in the family, they most likely will try their best to get treatment for a disease that they do not even have yet. These treatments or preventative measure puts the consumer at a much higher risk of other medical problems and side effects associated with those medical procedures and some of these complications can even result in death (Edwards 17). These testing products also have risks of giving false negatives or even false positives which can create a sense of chaos within a patient, even if they truly do not have any signs of illness (18). The Federal Drug Administration has
One of the main ways that a medical professional can help a consumer when it comes to genetic testing, would be by educating them. There are many things that a consumer should try to understand before getting genetic testing. A consumer should know of the risks, meaning that they should know they will likely have more accurate results if they get their tests done by a physician instead of with direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits (Robertson 214). Another risk posed by direct-to-consumer testing is that they may not completely understand the meaning of the results, causing them to make premature, impulse decisions. A medical professional can explain what someone’s results may suggest about them and their background, as well as the best way to go about treatment and/or preventative measure. Not only is a medical professional most educated in these types of testing and results, they can also provide an emotional shoulder for their patients to lean on. Some may feel embarrassed to discuss certain results with their physician, but it is a physician’s job to make the patient feel comfortable, and to give them the best support that they can. A physician sees “embarrassing” results almost every day, so chances are, there is hardly any