Jane Tiller, Monash University and Paul Lacaze, Monash University
You might be intrigued by what your genes could tell you about your ancestry or the health risks hidden in your DNA. If so, you’re not alone.
Fascination with personal genetics is fuelling an explosion of online DNA testing. More than 12 million people have been tested – 7 million through ancestry.com alone. Amazon reported the 23andMe online DNA test kit as one of its top five best-selling items on Black Friday in 2017.
But while online genetic testing can be interesting and fun, it has risks. Here are five things to keep in mind if you’re considering spitting in a tube.
1. Understand the limits of what’s possible
Keep in mind the evidence behind claims a DNA testing company makes. Some companies list the science that backs up their claims, but many don’t.
DNA testing can be used to tell your ancestry and family relatedness quite accurately, but companies claiming to predict wine preferences or children’s soccer prowess from DNA are in the realm of fantasy.
There is also a lack of regulation on this issue to protect consumers.
2. Make sure you’re prepared for the information
Genetics can tell us many things, some of which we may not be prepared for. You may go in looking for information on your ancestry, but could find out about unexpected paternity. Or you might discover you’re at risk of certain diseases. Some of these have no cure, like Alzheimer’s disease, which could only leave you distressed.
Top Comments
I would like to add to consider your immediate family, too - parents, kids, and siblings. You might well discover that you have an adult/late onset genetic disease. Where does that leave your parents, for example? Wondering how soon they might get sick? The knowledge of your potential future is a pretty heavy burden to bear, and it affects your family too.
As a geneticist in training, I would personally only have genetic testing where (a) there was a cause to test, AND (b) there was something useful that could be done with the results. An example is screening for a BRCA mutation where there is a family history of breast-ovarian cancer.
There is an interesting documentary available on ABC iView that deals with this issue: Ask The Doctor, Series 1 Ep 8 (Genes). It follows the presenter, Dr Shalin Naik, as he explores getting his genome sequenced. Well worth a watch if you're considering DNA testing!