Genetic Testing

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What is the public opinion on genetic testing? Some see it as a faulty and unreliable waste of time and money, and others that truly understand it see it was a very beneficial way to save millions of lives. Genetic testing uses laboratory methods to look at your genes, which are the DNA instructions you inherit from your mother and your father. Genetic tests may be used to identify increased risks of health problems, to choose treatments, or to assess responses to treatments (NHGR 1). Genetic testing is still in it’s infancy, but it has already saved thousands of lives. Doctors are able to perform these tests on infants, children and adults alike. At a first glance, this new concept may seem baffling, but the idea that we can evaluate out if …show more content…
For example, if a person wants to have a baby, but knows that in the past their family members have had certain birth defects, they would get tested to see if they had a certain disease and if they would pass on to the child. This is valuable information to have, so you can plan out your life accordingly, and be happy with the choices you make. There are different types of genetic testing as well. Diagnostic testing will identify the disease that a person is suffering from. This is used for people who already have signs of a disease. Carrier testing will tell you if you are a carrier and if you will pass it on to your offspring, and is offered to people who have a family history of a certain disease. Newborn screening is for newborns one to two days old, and it determines whether that infant has certain diseases. Pharmacogenomic testing gives information about how certain medicines are processed by an individual's body. This type of testing can help your healthcare provider choose the medicines that work best with your genetic makeup. You can choose any one of these if they pertain to you, to help you live a long and healthy

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