DNA Testing: Do You Really Want to Know?

Some good thoughts on DNA testing by Clive Thompson in Wired.  Excerpt:

Here's the thing: You pay anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars for a genetic test, but what you're really buying is a sense of control. You want to know your dread future and prepare for it - or even prevent it. But with most big genetic scares, like a predisposition for colon cancer, heart problems, or diabetes, what will the doctors tell you? Eat better, stop smoking, get more exercise. You don't need the Delphic Oracle to figure that out. Yes, in very rare circumstances, radical measures can be taken, such as a double mastectomy to forestall the likelihood of breast cancer. But genetic results are probabilities, not certainties. Run a broad enough test and nearly everyone could have a red flag for something.

Maybe you just want the peace of mind that comes with knowing, if only partially, what cards you may be dealt. Fair enough. But if you get bad news, you'll still have to cope with untidy ethical and political issues. Should you tell your blood relatives? After all, it's their DNA, too. The next time you apply for health insurance, you'll have to decide whether to disclose your genetic mark of Cain and risk getting turned down.

Link: Wired 14.04: START.