Genetic testing for disease

[Alex+R 0]

If you knew you had a 50% chance of carrying a hereditary life-threatening disease, would you get the test? Wait until you were thinking of having children? Prefer not to know?

[SoL. 0]

I might sound crazy but I prefer not to know.

Edited February 2, 2007 by Sol-de-Verano

[Mandi+Ryan 1]

I'd want to know.

[Alex+R 0]

What if you also consider that if you come out positive you may have a terrible time getting insurance, life insurance, certain other opportunities, etc. for the rest of your life?

[SoL. 0]

What if you also consider that if you come out positive you may have a terrible time getting insurance, life insurance, certain other opportunities, etc. for the rest of your life?

Like for example, what kind of disease are we talking about?

If I don't know then I wouldn't have to mention it and there will be no prob on getting the insurance coverage, unless they test me. Plus no stress. The only problem I have would be at the time of having kids because it might affect them. Then I get worried...

Edited February 2, 2007 by Sol-de-Verano

[Alex+R 0]

What if you also consider that if you come out positive you may have a terrible time getting insurance, life insurance, certain other opportunities, etc. for the rest of your life?

Like for example, what kind of disease we are talking about?

If I don't know about it then I wouldn't have to mention it and there will be no prob on getting the insurance coverage, unless they test me. Plus no stress. The only problem I have would be at the time of having kids if it might affect them. Then I would be worried...

Yeah, if they have genetic testing then they can test a fetus though, right? Depends on what you would do if you found out the fetus did carry the gene though.

[SoL. 0]

What if you also consider that if you come out positive you may have a terrible time getting insurance, life insurance, certain other opportunities, etc. for the rest of your life?

Like for example, what kind of disease we are talking about?

If I don't know about it then I wouldn't have to mention it and there will be no prob on getting the insurance coverage, unless they test me. Plus no stress. The only problem I have would be at the time of having kids if it might affect them. Then I would be worried...

Yeah, if they have genetic testing then they can test a fetus though, right? Depends on what you would do if you found out the fetus did carry the gene though.

With the advances of medicine, maybe something can be done to treat this disease from the very beginning.

[Mandi+Ryan 1]

I'm sure I would worry a lot. And it would upset me at times, but I would still want to know for my children's sake. Insurance is ANOTHER problem.

[Alex+R 0]

Please let me know if there are any other angles of this question anyone can think of. Angles I might not have thought of.

Thanks,

[Jenn! 918]

Depends on the disease and how long it would take to kill me.

If it were something that wouldn't affect me for a long time, I would probably wait until I had children to be tested. If it were something that might immediately endanger my life, I'd want to know right now.

[Samra 0]

i have had genetic testing, as I think its a responsible thing to do when since my family has a history of certain conditions. I would say that even if it ISNT life-threatening conditions, it is an important consideration when beginning family planning.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

I would not want to know....

What I dont know about cant worry me.....

Kez

[raymaga 25]

Definitely would... information is power.

[Savanphil 3]

I would want to know, I would want to catch it in its early stages

[de_sjiem 0]

This makes me think of the book Marker by Robin Cook.. (he always likes to write about the medical issues!) One of the main characters in that book had genetic testing and she was positive for the marker.. Its just kind of creepy what they can do with the information too.. Like insurance factors (although I think its currently illegal or something to charge people based on these genetic tests), or what other problems might occur from tests like these (such as [way off on a limb here] forced sterilization for the carriers??)

Not sure I would get tested.. might just be too scary, but on the flip side, if you know you are a carrier for a certain disease or something, then you will know to check for it more often..