Laboratories look at your genes, which are the DNA instructions you inherit from your mother and your father. Genetic tests may be used to identify increased risks of health problems, to choose treatments, or to assess responses to treatments.
You should consider testing. Most illnesses need immediate detection. There are many different types of genetic tests.
Newborn screening – Testing just after birth to identify genetic disorders that can be treated early in life
Predictive and pre-symptomatic – These types of tests are used to detect gene mutations associated with disorders that appear after birth, often later in life
Carrier testing – Used to identify people who carry one copy of a gene mutation that, when present in two copies, causes a genetic disorder
Prenatal testing – This particular test is used to detect changes in a fetus’s genes or chromosomes before birth
Forensic testing – Forensic testing uses DNA sequences to identify an individual for legal purposes
Pharmacogenomic testing – This type of genetic testing determines the influence of genetic variation on drug response
Research genetic testing – Research testing included finding unknown genes, learning how genes work and advancing the understanding of genetic conditions
Genetic test results can be hard to understand, however, specialists like geneticists and genetic counselors can help explain what results might mean to you and your family. Because genetic testing tells you information about your DNA, which is shared with other family members, sometimes a genetic test result may have implications for blood relatives of the person who had to test.
There are many reasons that people might get genetic testing. Doctors might suggest a genetic test if patients or their families have certain patterns of disease. Genetic testing is voluntary and the decision about whether to have genetic testing is complex.