ABSTRACT

This chapter considers what it means for genetics to 'go online', specifically what happens when individuals are able to purchase personal genome tests directly from companies supplying both sequence data and interpretation of health risks. It explores a growing body of research about the market for direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing from a social science perspective. The chapter also explores the intersections of new genetics and new media by drawing from three different fields of study. It focuses on two themes which have arisen from our own research and that of others working on DTC genetic testing. It concerns the new possibilities for spatial-temporal arrangements between patients, consumers, healthcare professionals, and private companies. The chapter also concerns the relations of trust which are continually performed and negotiated in online genetics. It examines new possibilities for spatial-temporal arrangements emerging with online genetics, and relations of trust which are continually performed and negotiated in this field.