The Influence Of DNA Testing On African Americans

Great Essays
One reason that DNA testing attracted people’s attention is it is ability to uncover that ancestry information that individuals who have been disconnected from their ancestor’s homeland. For instance, during the period of slavery, European brought a large of number of slaves from various parts of Africa to the New World and those slaves have in America for generations. DNA examination brings hope for these African Americans because it can trace back their ancestry which helps African Americans to know who they are and where their roots are geographically. DNA testing can establish social relationship between people from different parts of the globe. For instance, Paul Brodwin writes, “geneticists in England have used Y-chromosome markers to …show more content…
They were ready to take the test if it was free of cost which explains that economic concerns plays a noticeable role in people’s decision whether to take the test or not. Not being able to pay for the testing, prevents several people from undergoing it but some overcomes economic obstacles by fundraising and saving money. According to their study more people showed interest to for taking the genetic testing despite the price especially because individuals consider the test essential for their family rather than personal advantage. And the researchers learnt that amount of money one is ready to pay for the testing is directly related to the income. For instance, wealthier welcomed the diagnostic genetic testing which is expected. Also, younger people valued more the testing than the elders. In addition, inheritance tests are becoming more and more crucial in determining and treating cancer Farzana L. Walcott and her co-researchers sated PPACA that was established to assist people who do not have insurance with their health care. PPACA possess plans for genetic testing for the Breast Cancer Susceptibility gene, and for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer in women. PPACA, however has some drawbacks because PPACA does not have plan for “1) high- risk men, 2) other inheritable cancer syndromes, and 3) individuals with a previous history of …show more content…
Modell) Another factor that holds up the genetic testing is people’s religious belief. Throughout the history science and religion have struggled to get along with each other. Although some people embrace novel health technology, sometimes their religious system conflict with the new scientific technology. Scientists and health care professionals are creating more and more ways to manage development of disease and one way that they address such disease is by performing genetic testing in early stages of one’s life. Religion in terferes with their decision of utilizing health related advances. People who grow up with theological mindset find science as threat to their long established belief system and they do not accept science as the tool for improving their health condition. Furthermore, communities with strong spiritual traditions rely on their faith rather than scientific discoveries. For instance, M. Modell and his colleagues (2014) observed that African American residing in Baltimore stated that they do not affirm their mistrust of medication and doctor but they keep their faith to God firm to ask for their wellbeing. Also, they think medicine and doctors do not have any power to cure one’s illness unless God wants to grant health for an individual. For instance, advent of newborn blood spots unfolds that various groups of people have various attitude toward newborn blood spot screening a testing in which doctors take blood samples of newborn infants

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Overall, genetic testing is not an inexpensive practice and there are certain criteria that patients need to meet to undergo testing. With knowing in advance your genetic future, everyone will want to be tested. With genetic diseases, a person is already subject and/or at a higher risk for the disease regardless of what they do, such as seen with the BRAC1 and/or BRAC2 mutation. People that carry that specific gene undergo prophylactic mastectomy to lower their risk for breast cancer. Additionally, knowing your genetic future can lead to eugenics since science is advancing it is improving the human population.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In the speech titled 'Family Medical Histories: A Proven Lifesaver' the author, Steven Harris, puts forward that the medical profession does not pay enough attention to the patient's family medical histories. He argues this lack of attention is the culprit in the misdiagnosis of hundreds of patients as most are hereditary diseases. Much truth lies in the argument posed by Harris because there have been genetic links found between generations of carriers of diseases. However, Harris overlooks other scenarios for the contraction of the diseases mentioned in the article.…

    • 89 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pt1420 Exercise 1

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Describe two limitations of genetic testing. Some scientific limitations are that the tests may not detect every mutation associated with a particular condition, and the ones they do detect may present different risks to various people and populations. Another important consideration in gene testing is the lack of effective treatments or preventive measures for many diseases and conditions now being diagnosed or predicted. 20. Name two types of professionals that specialize in diagnosing and explaining genetic disorders.…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Yet it is also warned against as, depending on state privacy laws, the results of genetic testing may be shared with insurance. If a disease is considered pre-existing due to genetic variances, insurance coverage may lessen (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2017) Yet without genetic testing, diagnosis for even the most trained physicians becomes difficult. For some subdivisions of…

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I will be analyzing Laura M. Purdy ’s essay on “Genetics and Reproductive Risk” and Jeff McMahan’s essay “The morality of screening for disability”. It is now possible to check for genetic disorders by looking for changes in the person’s DNA. It is known as the power of genetic testing, which now includes over a thousand tests designed to detect disease, a number that is projected to increase by the hundreds in the next few years. If this process is not chosen the person with the disease may be subjected to genetic discrimination.…

    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Using DNA to trace people who are suspected of committing a crime has been a major advance in policing. When DNA profiling is used wisely, it can help to convict people who have committed serious crimes or exonerate people who are innocent. However, concerns arise when individuals' tissue samples, computerized DNA profiles, and person data are stored indefinitely on a DNA database. There are concerns that this information could be used in ways that threaten people's individual privacy and rights and that of their families. Policymakers are increasingly coming to grips with legal issues related to taking DNA samples from people who have not been convicted of crimes.…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Abraham in Mama Might Be Better Off Dead humanizes the inequalities in quality and health care access that exists between the rich and the poor, through the stories of the Banes family, Mrs. Jackson, and Tommy. Abraham exposes the flaws in our healthcare system; through the experiences of one Chicago family we can see that it all comes down to money equals health. With that in mind, the book paints a ground up picture of how the health care fails to take care of those in most need. Abraham’s central message is “Not only do the poor get sicker but the sicker get poor” (39). With the statement above, Abraham is talking about the vicious cycle that the poor have to live with.…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As modern medicine advances, genetic testing has become more advanced and accurate than ever before. By a relatively inexpensive test and within a few weeks time, an individual can know what diseases they are prone to in the future. While this technology is insightful, the information that it supplies has the potential to drastically change people 's lives. When taking a Utilitarian approach, Katharine Moser’s decision to undergo genetic testing is not viewed as morally wrong, but her decision to testify in court was.…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    DNA testing is a major flaw in the criminal justice system that can be addressed through upgrading capacity of labs and the amount of DNA the DNA database can store. Imagine being wrongfully convicted for a crime you did not do and spending years behind bars all because the justice system didn't analyze the DNA correctly. This happens to many people every year throughout the country, and there are many problems and causes with DNA identification and there needs to be a solution for it. Wrongful convictions because of DNA is a problem in the justice system. Many cases have not even been tested for DNA.…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    If you had told someone in the early 1800’s that every cell in your body contains something called DNA made of molecules called nucleotides (DNA) that determine every characteristic about you, from your height and eye color to whether or not you’ll get a certain disease or condition, they would think you were crazy. Today, most students learn about DNA in middle school biology. DNA was first discovered by a German biochemist named Frederich Miescher in 1869, but its importance was not realized until 1953 (DNA). Genetic testing, “a type of medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins” (What is Genetic Testing?), however, was first done in the 1910s with ABO blood typing (O’Neil). Today, testing is used for determining paternity, determining a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder, and to confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition (What is genetic testing?).…

    • 1404 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The issue though, with this is the expansion of genetic testing from diseases that can be treated to diseases where there is nothing to be done (Timmermans). In the past. many diseases could be treatable - which provides a reason for the testing. “Screening for phenylketonuria, for example, has meant that newborns affected by the condition can be placed on a special diet in the first days of life, thereby preventing mental retardation” (Timmermans). But, major testing companies are now pushing to expand the tests to untreatable diseases - which has no positive effects unless women plan to abort.…

    • 1060 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Prenatal genetic sequencing is a scientific procedure that predicts the risk of developing an illness later in life, and/or shows potential traits such as athleticism and intelligence in an unborn child. These predictions of illness and potential traits come from analyzing fetal DNA found in a sample of the mother’s blood. A very important and main concern for prenatal genetic testing is for preparation of treatment for a predicted illness in a child. Also parents are often interested in these predictions simply for having an indication of what they are getting themselves into. Prenatal genetic testing is a rising topic in present ethical conflicts.…

    • 2208 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The third reason is that if you get diagnosed it may be incurable. One of the main reasons it is a bad idea to genetically test children without their consent is that it could cause children to worry unnecessarily. According to www.impact-study.co.uk children who “ have a brother or sister who has been shown to carry that gene alteration, they may feel guilty at having…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Parents can be cognizant of the medical expenses and care their child may have in the future (“Women’s Health Care Physicians”). If there were not genetic testing for genetic disorders in fetuses many parent would be unaware and unprepared for the birth of their…

    • 1183 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What is genetic testing? Genetic testing is a scientific and medical testing where scientists (change scientists to something else) identify for changes in a person’s genes, chromosomes or protein. It is considered when someone wants to identify health risks, allowing the doctor to make recommendations to their health and decrease their chance in developing the certain disease, or to test to see if the person has other genetic conditions, which would impact their chance of passing on or developing a genetic disorder. Though many positives may outweigh the negatives of genetic testing, does not mean the drawbacks of it should not be considered. When your results are concluded, it may emotionally affect you and your family.…

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays