23andMe is advertised to the public as a beneficial not only to help us as people get closer to our ancestral past, which is somewhat pointless due to the fact we have no true meaningful connections to these pasts. But to also help us grasp a better understanding of what lies within us health wise, whether it be a genetic trait such eye color or ones risk for developing a type of defect. The company’s mission statement says it all in fact, “We are a mission-driven company with big dreams of using data to revolutionize health, wellness and research. We want to improve healthcare. We want to prevent disease... We are pioneering a new world, centered on the consumer, where success depends on bold ideas and unprecedented scale” (23andMe, 2007).
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So right off the bat this company cares more about what one’s genetic information says about them and less about where your mother’s great grandfather’s family originates from. Another thing to keep in mind is since this is primarily a medical company they do have the green light to go through with DTC or direct to consumer testing. From an article from Nature Education it states, “Both 23andMe and Navigenics offer genetic testing services direct to the consumer. In other words, you don't need a physician order or any other authorization to be tested” (DTC Genetic Testing..., 2012). Something that is interesting to look at is the part of the quote where it states one does not need a physician to okay this testing. Could this lead to a future in which physicians are not needed anymore because all you need to do is spit into a tube and in a few weeks results are mailed with everything you have and more? Well the answer to may be only temporary because some states such as California prohibit this type of DTC genetic testing due to the fact that the testing is not certified by a physician and they have also had constant back and forth clashes with the FDA who, “ordered the genetic-testing company immediately to stop selling its flagship product, its $99 “Personal Genome Service” kit” (23andMe Is
So right off the bat this company cares more about what one’s genetic information says about them and less about where your mother’s great grandfather’s family originates from. Another thing to keep in mind is since this is primarily a medical company they do have the green light to go through with DTC or direct to consumer testing. From an article from Nature Education it states, “Both 23andMe and Navigenics offer genetic testing services direct to the consumer. In other words, you don't need a physician order or any other authorization to be tested” (DTC Genetic Testing..., 2012). Something that is interesting to look at is the part of the quote where it states one does not need a physician to okay this testing. Could this lead to a future in which physicians are not needed anymore because all you need to do is spit into a tube and in a few weeks results are mailed with everything you have and more? Well the answer to may be only temporary because some states such as California prohibit this type of DTC genetic testing due to the fact that the testing is not certified by a physician and they have also had constant back and forth clashes with the FDA who, “ordered the genetic-testing company immediately to stop selling its flagship product, its $99 “Personal Genome Service” kit” (23andMe Is