Genetic Testing

@worldwise1 (14885)
United States
August 21, 2007 1:51pm CST
The ABC Evening News will ask the question this evening: Would you be willing to undergo genetic testing to find out which diseases you might get later on? I find this an interesting question. It made me wonder exactly what measures could be taken in order to prevent you from getting a disease if you were found to be predisposed to it. How sure could you be that the results were right? I might be among the minority, but I am not one to put my entire faith in the medical profession. Robin Cook has a great novel out entitled Critical. I like to read his novels because having been a doctor himself, he lays it all out for you to see what is really going on in the medical profession. Knowing this I wonder how freely you would consent to undergo this genetic testing.
4 people like this
13 responses
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
22 Aug 07
This is an interesting thread, i must say. I am not sure as to i would go for it or not. I am in medical profession and have seen and known the increasing corruption going on in it. So the vialibility of this Genetic Tests is still doubtful. I would rather work on a healthful life as far as possible. That is more more convincing , i guess. Thanks for the reference. I have heard a lot about the book. will like to read it. Is it a thriller involving medical profession?
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
22 Aug 07
Yes it is a medical thriller, mimpi. Robin Cook is a wonderful writer, and it makes his books all the more interesting because he was a doctor. Corruption is in almost all professions now because people are so greedy they will do most anything to gain more money.
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
22 Aug 07
yes, corruption has now become the integral part of living and a few survive without being into it.
@luzamper (1357)
• Philippines
22 Aug 07
As for me, I don't like to undergo such genetic testing. We get diseases in so many ways, not so much because of genetics. And if it is genetically, I don't think that could be avoided because they are in the genes. I would just eat properly and do things properly to avoid sickness as much as possible and if I become sick, then I'd look for the cure.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I think that would be the smart thing to do, luzamper. When you look at the facts, even all the money that the rich have cannot prevent them from getting incurable diseases.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
22 Aug 07
I was wondering about the implications of this testing. If the tests found out I had an inclination to diabetes, that there was a chance of me getting stomach or intestinal cancer, if I had a higher than average chance of having a heart attack, would I be denied health insurance or would my rates go up? It is all right if knowing this means they might have a treatment and give you a diet or an exercise program to prevent this, as long as they do not decide that since you would die at sixty-six anyway or whenever, they make sure that at sixty=six, you die.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
22 Aug 07
Who knows what the implications might be, suspenseful? Honestly, I don't think it's meant for us to know everything. I still maintain that if any good comes from it, only the well-to-do people would have access to it.
• United States
21 Aug 07
Since I wouldn't change the way I am eating or exercising or not exercising, I wouldn't want to know.If I had to give up just one thing I am eating or doing to ,live longer, I wouldn't.In fact I wonder how many people would take the teat, believe in the results and stop living because the test said that they were going to die of a rare disease?I rather eat what I like and die sooner than not eat what I like and live longer.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I feel much the same way, sarahruthbeth, because I believe that our destinies are already pretty much mapped out. We can change our regular routine, true, but I don't feel that it will necessarily prolong our lives.
1 person likes this
@Aurone (4755)
• United States
21 Aug 07
I don't know. I think this is a good issue. I think if you could tell me I was at risk for certain diseases so I could be diligent in watching for them or getting tested for them yearly. That way you could catch them early especially in the case with cancer where catching it early is everything and often there are no symptoms that you are sick until its too late. I think that could be a good thing, but if it would effect insurance premiums or make people worry too much about a catching something that they might or might not get then that could be bad.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I think the only purpose it would serve for some people is to cause them undue worry, Aurone. People have always been prone to certain diseases, but many are not in a position to do anything about it anyway. Those who are living in impoverished circumstances cannot often afford decent health care. It will just be another gap between the classes.
• India
21 Aug 07
i would like to but on the other hand it could also be sort of scary to know that i could be prone to certain threats. love, apple.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I believe, apple that what you say is a very important factor to consider. Many people would probably just say, why buy trouble?
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
23 Aug 07
I am not sure if I would take the test or not. I guess it would depend on whether they could stop you from getting them, if they are found.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
26 Aug 07
It's an interesting discussion...I wonder if it's just a theory or entirely possible. I'm sure genetical studies could tell us a lot of things. I'd like to see testing introduced for couples hoping to have children. There are so many people out in the world having it off without any thought or care or sense of responsibility and abortion being so easy, I guess it will never happen.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Aug 07
I don't know if I have much faith in the medical profession to begin with...and like you said and indicated how would one know how accurate the tests were anyway...And what I can't help thinking..say you were told that because of these tests, it was found out that you were at risk for some disease later on...so how is that really going to help, and couldn't it make a person dwell on it too much? And it could be a case of the chicken and the egg...what I mean is by supposedly knowing you were at risk for a disease in the future, and one constantly thought about it, could one risk the chance of "attracting" it to them--since you know how much I'm into the law of attraction, could one actually talk themselves into getting that disease? And that would be an ironic twist...suppose the test results were mixed?? And the results weren't for that particular person but for someone else, yet that person got the disease instead?? Something to think about, no?
• United States
22 Aug 07
I find this question laughable. How can someone know what diseases they will get, if any, later on in life? How much more information do we need as citizens for people to keep interfering in our personal business? It is up to the individual people themselves to determine if they get sick or not! sunny waters
@RosieS57 (889)
• United States
22 Aug 07
I know I have a genetic condition and no, I won't be tested and I won't have my kids tested either. The reason? Insurance. I don't trust the insurance companies. I can just see my kids being denied coverage for anything having to do with this condition -- and that is most of them. My doctor wanted me to be tested and I kept ignoring his request. I think he finally figured out that I can get treatment without having it nailed down for exactly what it is. It's also fortunate that the local pediatricians don't document formally what we all have so that we can get treatment as needed. Just one of the meds. my life literally depends on costs $1,300 US every month. Without the insurance coverage I wouldn't see my birthday next month and I haven't reached 50 yet. If you can possibly avoid genetic testing, avoid it! Don't trust the insurance companies not to kill you to save some money.
@Far525 (37)
• China
22 Aug 07
I will not accept the genetic testing.As far as I see, everyone likes superise. The disesse ia aslo a kind of supersie,but negative one.If you know the result, but there is no way to solve it, how can you live the life? In order to be happy with the life, just be happy to do what you want to do , to go where you want to go and be kind to the friends and relatives.If one day, you say Goodbye to the world,you will feel satisfied with yourself.
• Canada
21 Aug 07
I would like to tonsent to geneting test to find out wath genetic diseases my sons can have in the future because of me