The DNA Dilemma: A Test That Could Change Your Life

In a few paragraphs, write your personal reaction to the TIME article we read in class, "The DNA Dilemma: A Test That Could Change Your Life." Be sure to include what you feel to be your personal limits when it comes to genome sequencing. How much would you want to know? What would you not want to know? Take the perspectives of other stakeholders as well and describe what you would do as the doctor/geneticist/genetic counselor, the parent, and the child. 

I feel there are many ethical dilemmas that can be related to this issue. When it comes to genome sequencing, there are many limits and questions that people must ask themselves. I feel the personal limits and answers should be up to the patient or the patient's parents. The main questions you have to ask yourself are: do you want to know everything wrong with you, or only the important things? do you want to know about the future problems or just now? Personally, I would only get a sequencing test if my doctor recommended it. If I were to take a sequencing test, I would most likely only want to know what is going to effect me right now, and I would want my doctor to put everything else away until the time comes when I would need to know about it to help my health. I would not want to know any problems with me that wouldn't effect me until later. Also, I would want to know if I could carry on these problems (if any) onto my future children. As the doctor/geneticist/genetic counselor, I would ask the patient what they would want to do in each situation, need be. If possible, I would encourage them to sign a waiver with this information, just to back up my actions after the test is done. I would leave all of the options of knowing in their hands,so I wouldn't have to make the decision for them. However, if something came up that was life-threatening that could be fixed at that moment in time, I would tell them no matter what. As a parent, I would make a plan as to what I would want to know depending on when, and the severity of whatever is shown on the test results. For example, there is no need to know about an illness onset for 50 years from now, until then unless it can be treated earlier.