by Steven Witte
Technology for sequencing DNA has advanced very rapidly over the last 15 years, and is poised to become a routine part of clinical evaluation of individuals. The health regulatory agencies in most countries have maintained a conservative position in regards to adopting genetic testing. This is due to several fears, which will be discussed. Recently, social scientists have conducted studies and surveys to find out what the public’s opinion of genetic testing is, including the public’s ability to understand results, as well as their desire to find out if they are at risk for serious diseases later in life. However, this area of research is very recent and has not yet been featured by the media.
