In This Article
In This Article
DNA testing is a convenient and trustworthy way to understand your genetics, personal relationships, and any diseases you may be at risk for. It can greatly help you make lifestyle changes and find out more about your ancestry.
However, DNA tests can also potentially cause more anxiety because of the process. The results can even be inconclusive or concerning, and it may be costly to follow up on.
Despite the cons, we’d say that, overall, it’s worth it if you have the budget and want to know more about yourself. Your DNA gives you better insights into your genes, and it may have valuable information to improve your quality of life.
5 Benefits of Genetic Testing
Clinical genetic testing done by health care providers is different from direct-to-consumer (DTC) tests. Many at-home DNA tests provide information on ancestry and traits. Some offer insights into inherited health conditions.
Genetic tests can analyze your genes to see which variants you have. They can reveal a lot about your appearance, behavior, and health.
Here are some benefits of DNA testing:
Some gene variants can undergo changes which can increase your risk of certain diseases, genetic disorders, and other health problems. At-home genetic testing tends to focus on the prevention of diseases that you may have inherited or are at risk for.
On the other hand, clinical DNA tests are often used to diagnose illness. Knowing your risks and medical history can help you take on a more proactive approach towards your health.
Some of the most common diseases DNA tests can detect or prepare you for are:
If you’re unsure about what to do with your DNA results, you can talk to your healthcare provider or a genetic counselor. They can help you understand the conditions you’re at risk for, what genetic disorders you may have, and proceed with medical care if necessary.
DNA tests can identify genetic mutations that you may have and could potentially pass on to your children. You can take your results to genetic counselors and make informed choices.
If you’re considering a sperm donor, an egg donor, or a surrogate, DNA testing can help you choose a good candidate. However, “bad genes” shouldn’t stop you from having children. Being at risk for these conditions does not mean that these conditions will develop.
Remember that DNA tests can only reveal potential diseases you may develop. There is currently no scientific way to verify with certainty if they will.
Genetic testing companies can dig deeper into your DNA and offer insights into traits you’ve inherited or didn’t know you had. It can even tell you where you inherited them, including the region and the groups of people you share DNA with.
DNA testing can help you learn more about your heritage. By comparing your genes with people from around the world, it can help you explore your ancestry and ethnic origins.
Your results will include regions and ethnicities which you share most of your DNA with. This suggests you have common ancestors. If you’re interested in diving deeper into your family tree and how your ancestors contributed to who you are today, DNA tests could be a great help.
You can use DNA tests to find lost family members and distant relatives. Some DNA testing companies also let you get in touch with them via their databases of users who have also taken the same test.
However, not all users will want to publicize their DNA information or results, so this isn’t always guaranteed. Still, if you happen to find someone whose results overlap heavily with yours, it might be a cool new discovery and addition to your family tree.
Of course, this isn’t to say that everyone should take a DNA test. Here are some cons of genetic testing:
Learning that you have a higher risk for health problems can be stressful. Even if you know you have a family history when it comes to a certain disease, seeing it on your DNA results or waiting for confirmation can be a nerve-wracking experience.
If you have anxiety and other mental health issues or are currently under a lot of stress, you might want to avoid DNA testing. Wait until you have an adequate support system to help you deal with the results. For example, finding out you have cancer risk can be distressing.
Take a DNA test only if you feel emotionally ready for any negative reports. Genetic testing results should be interpreted with the help of medical geneticists to avoid jumping to conclusions.
DNA testing companies can keep your samples, information, and results after completing DNA analysis. This can put your data at risk in several ways:
Always read a company’s privacy policies before buying a test. Make sure they won’t share your data with third parties like health insurance companies without consent.
Of course, you can trust some companies more than others.
Keep in mind that your DNA test results won’t just affect you. What you can learn from it may also affect people in your family and other close relationships.
Learning about potential genetic disorders can also cause distress for your family members, especially if they’re not aware of certain conditions in your lineage. You might also find lost relatives that your family doesn’t want to talk about or relatives that you didn’t know existed.
Bringing this up can affect your relationship with them and may cause negative feelings to stew. Ensure you’re careful with the information you share, gentle with how you break sensitive news and mindful of what you reveal.
DNA companies can connect you to genetic matches or people with similar DNA. However, they leave it up to members to decide if they want to be found or contacted.
This can limit your results to people who agreed to the DNA matching services. Even if you do find a match, they can stop contact before you can confirm a match.
Whichever the case, it’s important that you respect the privacy of your matches. Many people online know there are potential risks to having their information available online, so they may just want to be cautious.
The accuracy of a DNA test can also vary for each person. For example, someone with European ancestry can get accurate results from a company with a European reference group. Meanwhile, a person of Asian descent can’t expect the same accuracy from a company with very few Asian members.
In fact, only a few DNA testing companies focus on minority ethnic groups. Most well-known DNA testing companies have more information on Western populations, like European and American populations.
The small number of ethnic minorities in reference panels makes it harder for people of color to get more precise results. The accuracy of these tests will also depend on the type of DNA testing done. You can consult your medical practitioner for the best test that suits your purpose.
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You should consider genetic testing in these situations:
However, understanding the benefits and disadvantages of genetic testing is the best way to decide if it is right for you. The results may not be what you want to learn, but there’s still power in knowing.
Before making a decision, you may talk to a certified genetic counselor. They’ll explain the process and the considerations you need to take.
Some companies offer consultations with genetic experts after you get your results. You’ll be in a one-on-one consultation with a genetic counselor or geneticist to discuss your results and what they mean.
Additionally, some companies offer psychological services. You can also probably ask for a recommendation as many people often seek out psychological help after DNA test results.
Interpreting your DNA test results is best done by an expert. Talk to your healthcare provider, doctor, or genetic counselor for the best interpretations of your DNA test results.
Many DNA testing services also try to make their reports as digestible as possible for the average person. However, it can still be easy to take everything that’s reported at face value and jump to conclusions.
DNA tests can vary in price. Some offer affordable options for less than $100, but the most common range for comprehensive tests can cost more than $2000. The cost depends on various factors like the type of test you take, what it covers, and which company it’s from.
Yes, for the most part. While there have been some cases where DNA testing companies have suffered security breaches, your private data should be safe.
Many companies offer the option to delete your DNA data from their databases altogether and even destroy your sample if you’re concerned about security breaches.
Again, not every database is fully secure, but big DNA companies are working constantly to tighten their security as much as possible.
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