Francis Bacon once said that knowledge is power. This wise saying is particularly essential in matters concerning health since prevention has always been the best cure. If prevention does not apply, then preparation and management are key. With this in mind, given an opportunity to take free of charge, accurate, and reliable genetic tests to determine my probability of developing a wide range of chronic diseases in my lifetime, I wouldn’t hesitate to take the opportunity.
My aforementioned decision is based on a plethora of reasons. First, chronic lifetime diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s Dementia are better handled when identified early. The would-be patient knows which type of doctor to visit and starts any necessary medication early. The patient is also saved the costs of having to run numerous tests in the future in case the genetic tests are negative. Secondly, the tests allow individuals to pursue informed decisions regarding their lifestyle behavior (Kimberly). This includes the foodstuffs to eat and other sensitive decisions such as whether to have children or not. Thirdly, genetic tests enable people to plan for treatment early enough. This ensures that by the time the disease is manifesting the individual already has either sufficient funds or medical insurance to tackle the hefty health bills. Lastly, genetic test results are of benefit to the whole extended family as they can help in identifying parallel cases.
Some of the genetic tests already exist and have been proven to provide accurate and reliable results. However, the main deterrence against using them is the hefty costs involved which could range from $100 to a staggering $2,000 depending on their nature and complexity (“What Is the Cost of Genetic Testing, and How Long Does It Take to Get the Results?”).
Works Cited
“What Is the Cost of Genetic Testing, and How Long Does It Take to Get the Results? – Genetics Home Reference – NIH.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 9 July 2019, ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/testing/costresults.
Hiss, Kimberly. “What Your Doctor Isn’t Telling You About ‘23andMe’ and Other Genetic Testing.” Reader’s Digest, www.rd.com/health/conditions/genetic-tests-worth-it/.