A DNA test can be indicated in serious legal matters. One can even undergo DNA test just for the fun of knowing one’s ancestry or to know which diseases are likely to affect you. You can easily buy a DNA test kit for a low price but you pay for the lab report.
All you have to do is buy the kit, take a cheek swab and send it off to the lab. Wait, before you undergo a DNA test, there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. DNA test is not a sure indicator of proneness to cancer or heart diseases
Consumer tests do not test billions of DNA pairs. So, if you send off the test kit in the hope that you will get 100% assurance that you will or will not get cancer, then you are wrong. According to this, the FDA restricted test kits to only checks for genetic variants that can link to a specific disease.
Even in that case, it is not 100% predictable that you will or will not develop cancer. For precise results, it is better to entrust a certified lab like CRI genetics and indicate the variants you would like to be tested for.
2. Your DNA information could be shared
Once you send off your sample, your DNA could go into the public domain. Test labs may share results or DNA with the pharmaceutical or research companies. Even your personal data could be shared. Some may ask for your permission.
Others automatically assume the right to do what they please with your personal data and DNA data.
3. Ancestry tests are not entirely accurate
If you think that a DNA test will reveal your ancestry going back thousands of years, this is not entirely accurate. Because test labs do not test all sequences. Further, you inherit 50% DNA from your mother and 50% from your father as they did from theirs. Further test labs may not have DNA samples from all ethnicities. However, you do get an indication and may discover relatives you did not know existed.
4. Your peace of mind could go out of the window
Ignorance can be bliss at times. A DNA test could open up a whole can of worms and you will start worrying about diseases and suffer from depression. You may find things about relatives you were better off not knowing. Insurance is a big key player here. You can even lose your insurance money based on your DNA report findings. If you have had a DNA test and then applied for insurance in Australia, you are needed to disclose the results.
5. Your sample could be switched or lost
Thousands of people send in their samples for testings. You can even accidentally switch your report to someone else’s. Your sample could just as easily be misplaced or lost. It is rare, but it may happen.
Getting your DNA tested can be fun if you just want to know your roots. It can be a bit more serious if you wish to know about the likelihood of diseases. In either case, your DNA data can be misused unless you take care to select a scrupulous agency such as CRI to carry out tests. Because of the low cost of tests, such labs do not carry out a detailed test but test only specific markets so do not expect very precise results.
