Have you had your DNA tested?

I haven’t had my DNA tested although I think the results would be informative and potentially interesting. I worry about this sort of testing because of the potential for insurance companies to use the information against people.

If I have DNA testing done and it shows I am genetically predisposed to develop coronary problems, alzheimers or some sort of cancer, will they use this to deny me the right to life or health insurance? Could employers who insist on this testing use it to screen potential or even existing employees? Are protections in place to ensure organisations don’t abuse their potential access to such information?

I suspect this could happen (it may already happen) and I hope someone with more info will answer this question.

Not yet, but I am very interested in doing it to find out about my ancestry. National Geographic does it for $99, and I think that would be the one I would go with. I want to look into it a bit more and then I think I’ll give it a try.

I haven’t done it. I haven’t really seriously considered it, but I have not ruled out the idea of doing it. I kind of feel secure that I know more or less what it would say, but it would be interesting have some sort of surprise. Hopefully a happy surprise. There has been some question about how accurate the testing is regarding ancestry.

You might know that Greenland has DNA’d most of their citizens, totally voluntary, because they are all so closely related (descended from the Vikings) very homogenous society, that they are being used to detremine various genetic markers for traits and health, both good and regardng illnesses.

@Bellatrix I would assume you can do it anonomously?

Yeah, I’ve been tested and it confirmed I’m a freak. Genetic counseling was the recommendation. Wanna have kids with me?

Never thought about it until now! But I REALLY don’t think it would be a good idea for me. Not with my paranoia regarding health.

I have had some genetic testing actually, I didn’t really think about it. I am heterzygous for a clotting problem, I know I don’t have the genetic markers for the typical Ashkenazi Jewish genetic diseases, and whatever else standard fertility testing looked at genetically back 12 years ago.

Nope, haven’t had a reason to. And at my age I doubt there is some genetic disease that it would do me any good to know about.

I have not. I have no need for it, though I suspect that my insurance might want to know.

@zenvelo: Remember it’s not just for health, it could be for ancestry research. Often, people are surprised to learn that their family trees contain groups of people that they never expected.

No. My ancestors were a gabby lot and left autobiographies. I know more than enough.

Yes, I have.

I did the National Geographic one that showed where my ancestors came from. No surprises, but a cool map!

My husband and I are trying to spawn nowadays, and the fertility doc suggested we have some genetic testing. We haven’t yet. However, if we find out that I have the BRCA gene, signifying a great risk for breast cancer later in life, the doc told me that the “pre-existing condition” might affect my ability to get disability or life insurance (if I let my current coverage lapse and try to get new insurance somewhere), but that I would still be able to obtain health insurance at least, because of the Affordable Care Act.

No, I am always careful to not leave any at my crime scenes.

@jca My father was pure Scot, and full of recessive genes, while my mom is Mexican and pretty typical Mexican with black hair and brown eyes. I asked how I got blue eyes, and my mom said she knew no one in her family with blue eyes, none of the aunts or uncles or cousins, but that there was a rumor of “an Austrian” back a few generations.

So I figure I have some Hun in me somewhere, and that’s about all I need to know. Mu ancestry is untraceable more than 175 years ago, we tried to research it awhile ago.

@zenvelo: Huns were Germans. Much nicer to have had an encounter with and cheerful Austrian (with whipped cream in his mustache) in the time frame you mention.