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By Emilyn Snyder Illustrations by Stella Richman
You walk into an interview, your palms sweating. You arrive in a room filled with other individuals waiting to be questioned, pasts and presents dissected for the opportunity to work. Finally, your name is called. Walking into the room, you perch on the edge of your seat, facing the interviewer. In your hand, you clutch a file of papers filled with personal information. Tentatively, you hand it across the desk. The interviewer opens the file and scans quickly through the documents, pausing upon a sheet filled with genetic information. They then politely hand back your file, and after conducting the interview, they inform you that you do not qualify. Despite your answers, your genetic information spoke for you. Could this be our new reality? The key to our very being exists inside every one of us. It is trapped within a spiral of coded parts, tangled up in every nucleus of our cells. Genetic testing has increased in popularity over the past couple of years. By merely sending in a tube of saliva, scientists can determine where your family originates from, what races make up your heritage and, if allowed to probe further, can determine what diseases you may be at risk for. Initially, genetic testing was offered as a public service for people to resolve their lineage and possible health-related issues. However, its rise in popularity has led to the results being used only for entertainment. This growth in awareness, combined with its ease of use has led to increased risk for all involved, no matter how conscientious.
Tracing your ancestry has never been easier, but what happens to your DNA afterward is anything but black and white By putting your genetic information out into the world, you may be putting yourself and others at risk. The human genome was first sequenced in its entirety in 2003, and since then, scientists have been able to understand more about the secrets of the human body. The ability to have individual DNA tested followed soon after in 2006. Decoding your genome has the potential to spur a healthier life for thousands of people around the world who are suffering from inherited genetic conditions. Diagnostic testing is often done when an individual is exhibiting signs of gene mutation, and the results can diagnose a disease such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington’s. Another type of testing, called “predictive testing,� is done as a preventative measure to screen for potential inherited diseases, such as certain types of cancer.
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Allowing scientists to read your genetic code can enable them to pinpoint specific genetic markers, thus allowing for more accurate medical assistance. Francis Collins, past director of the National Human Genome
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