From Genetic Counselling, Ethics, Nursing, Society

The DNA Dilemma

This article from the Health section of the fashion magazine Marie Claire explores issues with direct to consumer genetic testing

The DNA Dilemma

1st June 2019

Excerpt from article:

“Dr Anna Middleton, vice-chair of the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors, frequently encounters worried patients. ‘While it’s fantastic to make testing more accessible, companies don’t often offer a pathway to discuss results,’ she says. This leaves the NHS to pick up the pieces. ‘One patient’s home DNA test said she was carrying the BRCA1 gene and other test companies confirmed it,’ says Dr Middleton. ‘Distraught, she insisted on NHS genetic services, believing she’d need a mastectomy and her ovaries removed. But when tested again, they found the companies had made a mistake.’…’There are companies whose business midel isn’t the cost of the test. What they want is your valuable DNA raw data, which they will sell. If they do sell your personal profile, your 3 billion bits of DNA will be in the hands of a commercial company.'”


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Citation:

Graham K (2019) Quotes from Anna Middleton. ‘The DNA Dilemma’, Marie Claire UK, June 2019 pp.144-145