Pros And Cons Of Genetic Testing

Genetic testing…The Way of The Future
What are the implications for this new technology
Genetic testing, aka DNA testing, allows doctors to check if there are any possibilities to inherit diseases, and can also be used to determine a person's ancestry or biological relationship between people. It is important to understand the background and implications behind genetic testing as testing may be able to identify the odds of have of having a child with a genetic disease, but it can also result in miscarriage. The test often cannot determine if the child will show symptoms of a disease, how severe the symptoms will be, or whether the disease will progress over time. Another thing to take into consideration is the absence of treatment strategies
for many genetic disease once they have been diagnosed.
Thalassemia is an example of a genetic disease. There are two types of Thalassemia, Major and Minor. Thalassemia Major is when both parents carry the gene. Thalassemia Minor occurs when one parent carries the gene. If the child were to have Thalassemia Minor, it would be a carrier but it wouldn’t be affected.
This is a Punnet Square that shows what would happen if two parents were to have Thalassemia Minor: R r
R RR
Unaffected Rr
Carrier (Minor) r Rr
Carrier (Minor) rr
Affected
(Major)
*This Punnet Square shows that there is a 25% chance of the child being unaffected, a 25% chance of the child being affected and 50% percent chance of the child being a carrier (having Thalassemia Minor).
When a couple is faced with the possibility of their child inheriting a genetic disease like Thalassemia, there are different options that should be discussed with doctors and specialists before having the child. There are many options that can be taken into consideration, including, not having a child, genetic testing, not having children, having children, adopting and finding a new partner.
Not getting tested may allow the parents to not have to worry, but it also means that there is a risk of them having a child with a genetic disease.
This could be avoided if parents were to take the test which is a safer option. Genetic testing can reassure the parents or help them to prepare if there is a chance of their child inheriting a disease. The disadvantages for genetic testing include the fact that the test cannot stop the disease and it can cause miscarriages in CVS and Foetal Blood Sampling.
Deciding not to have a child can stop the gene and it means that there is no need to pay for tests and treatments but it also means that people will miss out on the chance to be parents. Having a child means that you wouldn’t have to miss out on parenthood, but it also means that your child may grow up with a disease like Thalassemia and you would have to pay for all of the child’s treatments and check-ups.
There is also the option of adopting children. This is a good option as it allows parents to have a child who won’t have a disease, but most people would rather have a child of their own flesh and blood. Finding another partner is an alternative solution. Although this means that your partner may not be affected or a carrier, it also means that you may not end up with the person you love and want to be with. Another option would be to use a sperm or egg donor, however this would mean that the child will only be biologically related to one of the
parents.
I would recommend families and parents-to-be to get tested. It may be a little bit stressful and worrisome but it means that parents and families will be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of their baby inheriting a disease. It also gives them more time to look at all of the different options that they may like to try.
In conclusion, there is an array of options available to couples who are worried that their child may inherit a genetic disease. There are diseases like Thalassemia that you can live with but not cure, therefore parents need to look at every option they can to prevent the gene from passing on to the next generation.