Getting my genome scanned
Sep. 15th, 2009 11:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mattbellSince I last checked a year ago, the price of a thorough (but not complete) genome scan has dropped to around $400, and there's a lot more useful documentation tying it to specific conditions. There's also the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act, which provides some protection from employer or insurance company discrimination based on genetic conditions. (I say "some" because they can still discriminate based on diseases caused by genetic defects once any symptom of the disease is present)
Logically, this seems like a good idea. If I know more about my risk levels on various preventable diseases (eg heart disease), I can focus my attention on ameliorating the biggest risk factors. Even if a disease is nonpreventable (eg Huntington's), it will help me better maximize my level of enjoyment of my life by not working my ass off and building up savings for a retirement that's never going to come.
However, I will say that, viscerally speaking, this is scary. There's a certain dread in finding out a piece of your own fate. I faced this fear when looking for prior art on things I was looking to patent or when doing STD testing the first couple of times. This is bigger though -- it's a potential threat to my dreams and plans for my life. It could also have an impact on marriage, kids etc, plus I could find out things that may be affecting other memebers of my family.
Of course, logic brain points out that these threats are there whether I look or not. The one semi-legitimate thing I'd worry about is that by being an early adopter of genetic testing, I could scare off potential mates. If I have a few known bad genes (and almost everyone does), I might be "scarier" than someone who hasn't had genetic testing.
Most mainstream people adopt the same "what I don't know can't hurt me" approach with sex and STD testing. They will gladly have sex with a stranger, no questions asked, but may be scared off by someone who had regular testing and discovered (and cured) some outbreak of an STD years ago. Fortunately, I'm not so into mainsteam people.
----
Anyway, I'm going to do it. Most of my fears appear to be of the "head in the sand" variety as opposed to legitimate fears. But don't ask me if I found anything scary in my genome. If I want to tell you, I will.
Logically, this seems like a good idea. If I know more about my risk levels on various preventable diseases (eg heart disease), I can focus my attention on ameliorating the biggest risk factors. Even if a disease is nonpreventable (eg Huntington's), it will help me better maximize my level of enjoyment of my life by not working my ass off and building up savings for a retirement that's never going to come.
However, I will say that, viscerally speaking, this is scary. There's a certain dread in finding out a piece of your own fate. I faced this fear when looking for prior art on things I was looking to patent or when doing STD testing the first couple of times. This is bigger though -- it's a potential threat to my dreams and plans for my life. It could also have an impact on marriage, kids etc, plus I could find out things that may be affecting other memebers of my family.
Of course, logic brain points out that these threats are there whether I look or not. The one semi-legitimate thing I'd worry about is that by being an early adopter of genetic testing, I could scare off potential mates. If I have a few known bad genes (and almost everyone does), I might be "scarier" than someone who hasn't had genetic testing.
Most mainstream people adopt the same "what I don't know can't hurt me" approach with sex and STD testing. They will gladly have sex with a stranger, no questions asked, but may be scared off by someone who had regular testing and discovered (and cured) some outbreak of an STD years ago. Fortunately, I'm not so into mainsteam people.
----
Anyway, I'm going to do it. Most of my fears appear to be of the "head in the sand" variety as opposed to legitimate fears. But don't ask me if I found anything scary in my genome. If I want to tell you, I will.
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-15 07:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-15 07:41 pm (UTC)It's probably a good sign that both my parents are still alive.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-16 02:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-16 05:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-16 02:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-16 05:58 am (UTC)There are of course some other reasons why you might not want to know though. For instance, having certain knowledge sometimes obligates you to do certain things. I'm not sure whether that sort of consideration could ever be relevant here, but it's at least a possibility.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-16 06:04 am (UTC)For non-genetic testing, you are still obligated to tell insurance companies when applying for insurance... thus, preventative medicine (eg blood tests, yearly physicals etc) is free and useful information but can lead to catastrophic financial results.