Students testing their own DNA for disease
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Your support makes all the difference.GUIDELINES for the use of DNA in the classroom have been called for after a report that medical students have been testing their own genes for inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer's disease and heart problems.
Three geneticists say the students were not told that they had a choice and that there was a lack of counselling about the implications.
The three, from the University of Wales Institute of Genetics, report two occasions in which such testing has been carried out. Although testing was carried out on a collective basis, several students tried to get their own results.
Genetic testing is now so simple that it can be used as part of medical education, but the Cardiff team says that anonymous DNA should be used to avoid complications.
"We are disturbed by both the lack of pre-test counselling and the potential lack of confidentiality in this context," they say in a letter in the current British Medical Journal.
One of the team, researcher Audrey Tyler, said: "Handling the DNA gives students experience in laboratory techniques, but I believe that anonymous DNA should be used. If I was in a class of 100 doing tests for cystic fibrosis and the rumour went round that two people had tested positive, I would want to know if it was me. To get over that, all you need is guidelines saying that anonymous DNA should be used."
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