Five Important Reasons to Request DNA Testing
Today, Canadians frequently seek DNA testing services. Knowledge about the human genome expanded rapidly during the past three decades. In this century, this form of testing often answers very specific questions. This article lists five of the most important reasons why people request DNA tests:
1. Learn More About Your Ancestry
The sophistication of DNA testing today permits individuals to learn detailed information about their ancestry. While many people use home testing kits to assist their genealogical research efforts in general, this type of test will also reveal highly personal ancestry information. It may allow children to identify previously anonymous sperm donors by name, for example.
2. Discover Whether Certain Genetic Conditions Occur in Your Family
One important reason to obtain this type of test involves determining whether or not couples might carry genes which could impact their offspring. Prospective parents may wish to know their chances of transmitting medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis or the blood disorder hemophilia, for example.
3. Assess Your Chance of Developing Some Types of Genetic Diseases Later in Life
Some people request DNA tests to determine their own chances of developing genetically-related conditions later in life. For instance, a genetic profile may reveal a test subject stands a high chance of eventually contracting an aggressive type of breast cancer. Today surgeons will perform preventative mastectomies for healthy patients who display a genetic predisposition to eventually contract this life-threatening condition. For more information, many online resources can also be found on the CRI Genetics website.
4. Prove Your Innocence in a Criminal Case
Defendants accused of crimes today sometimes request DNA testing in order to establish their innocence. For example, a wrongfully convicted prisoner may seek a DNA test in order to challenge evidence collected at a crime scene. While DNA testing has resulted in criminal convictions in some “cold” cases recently, it has also led to the exoneration of wrongfully accused suspects.
5. Help Identify Missing Loved Ones
Yet another important reason to obtain this type of test involves confirming the identity (or not) of a close family members. Relatives of lost or missing people sometimes take DNA tests for this reason. If someone develops amnesia and no one knows the patient’s identity, this type of test may prove valuable. When blood relatives have placed their DNA results on file, DNA permits the rapid identification of a “John Doe” or “Jane Doe”, even in another, geographically distant, province.
Impressive advances in knowledge about genetics have enabled DNA tests to furnish a wide array of data. This type of test yields specific health and personal information. People who submit DNA for testing sometimes gain insights into subjects which would have remained obscure during previous historical eras.