Do-it-yourself DNA tests have become big business, and not just for genealogists. Many people are now relying on them for medical information – to find out for instance if they are susceptible to specific hereditary diseases. There are many companies selling these home DNA test kits, and they are even used as a form of entertainment at what are being called “spit parties”. Spit parties are basically social gatherings where a group of people meet up with their home DNA test kits. They all give their samples in this social setting before sending their kits in to the company. When everyone receives their results back they meet again to discuss them.

It’s all seemingly harmless fun, unless of course someone finds out they are related to an unsavoury character, or worse their current partner! Of course the chances of the latter occurring are virtually nil, and it is harmless fun; except for those who are using home DNA tests to bypass the medical profession. Experts believe that there are many potential dangers of doing so.

Hopefulness or Hype?

One of the greatest dangers associated with the marketing and selling of DIY DNA kits is the false reassurance regarding a potential risk. For example; a woman who is informed that she lacks the mutation that leads to breast cancer could forego regular mammograms. A man who is told his genetic make-up makes him unsusceptible to heart disease may not exercise, or indulge himself in an unhealthy diet. It is so important to keep DNA test results in perspective, and separate hopefulness from hype. Just because your genetic make-up lowers your risk of inheriting a particular disease or condition does not exempt you from it.

Probably the greatest danger of these home DNA test kits is that they are not regulated by any federal law. The companies who sell them are not overseen by any agency, and as such one must consider the quality and accuracy of information received from them. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has little or no authority over the companies who sell the kits, and if there is no kit sold and the company has its own lab, there is no drug agency approval required. The tests are considered so potentially harmful if the results are misused that New York and California have sent countless cease and desist orders to genetic testing companies. The companies are informed that they need special licences to solicit DNA specimens, but most find loopholes in the law that allow them to continue their business.

So Are These Tests Even Reliable?

Generally scientists rely on four criteria for assessing the value of a DNA test. They are;

• Analytic Validity – Whether the test has reliably and accurately measured what it aims to assess.
• Clinical Validity – Whether it is capable of detecting potential risk of disease.
• Clinical Utility – Whether something can be done to correct a discovered risk.
• Ethical Validity – Whether or not the test violates moral, legal or social principles – perpetrating a stigma or encouraging discrimination.

Experts such as Katherine Wasson of the National Cancer Institute seem to think that come DNA tests are lacking in all four areas. She stated in the journal Ethics and Medicine that; “the potential harms outweigh the potential benefits of such tests,” and went on to explain that the results for individuals are too variable and unpredictable, as they are influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors. “Even if a person has a genetic mutation associated with a particular disease or condition, this does not necessarily predict when it will develop, if at all, or its severity,” she and her co-authors stated. They went on to say that most home DNA tests vary in their accuracy and ability to identify who will or will not get what disease, and especially that “currently, this information is not available for many direct-to-consumer genetic tests.”

If you wish to avoid certain diseases, prevention by adopting a healthy lifestyle and avoiding exposure to toxic substances is the best way to go – regardless of what a home DNA test might show. It has been proven that the mass produced interpretations of certain companies fall way short of what one might learn from a certified geneticist or even your doctor. Using a home DNA test to trace your ancestry is one thing, depending on them for a life dependent medical analysis is quite another.