Monday, December 7, 2015

Teens Want to Know Genetic Test Results

 
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When it comes to genetic testing, surveys show that more teens would rather know the results instead of not knowing. However, there was a little twist to the survey. Researchers surveyed a group of adolescents about whether or not they would want to know the results of a genetic test even if they were predisposed to a certain disease or condition that was incurable. 83 percent of them would prefer to know the results. Of that 83 percent, 39 percent responded that they would only want to know in order to better plan their future, since they believe their likelihood of a disease or condition is very important information. The results of this study, however, may be slightly skewed as only healthy students were surveyed. Researchers believe students with real conditions may not want to know the results of a genetic test. 
This article is quite interesting to me. It has always been a question of mine. Would I want to know the results of a genetic test or would I rather live my life not worrying about possible diseases or conditions that may affect me later in life? This is a question that I may soon have to answer. My family is currently suffering through a cancer outbreak, and doctors have found a gene that may be linked to the cancer. Some of my great aunts and uncles have the gene. If my mom has the gene, then I will have to be genetically tested in order to figure out if I have the gene or not, and what is my likelihood of being diagnosed with cancer.  
 
 

3 comments:

  1. This article is interesting to me as well. One of my close personal friend's family has PKD that runs through her family. This is not a disease that is confined to girls. She has been tested, and knows that she is positive, so she takes care of herself. However, many of her family members chose not to be tested. She becomes frustrated when it is discussed, because they are not taking proper steps to take care of themselves by not knowing. But it is a personal choice. I don't know what I would do in her situation, whether I would have been tested or not. Thankfully, I have never been faced with this decision, but I do find it to be an interesting topic.

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  3. This post was very interesting to read. It is definitely a difficult decision to make because on one hand it can be scary to find out you have a predisposition for a certain disease and this can cause you to go through life constantly worrying about it but then on the other hand you can also benefit from learning this information. I think if I personally had to make this decision I would choose to know the results even if I was at risk for a certain condition or disease because I think for many diseases and conditions there are certain preventative measures you can take in order to lower your risk. I would want to know if there are any changes I could make in my lifestyle to lessen my chances of getting a certain condition or disease.

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