ABSTRACT
Some form of social healthcare or social health insurance is therefore necessary if society is to realise the potential benefit of ‘the genetics approach to human health’. The original author offered the following working definition: genetic testing is the analysis of a specific gene, its product or function, or other DNA and chromosome analysis, to detect or exclude an alteration likely to be associated with a genetic disorder. Different issues arise when adolescents themselves request genetic testing. Again, current guidelines suggest postponement of testing until an individual becomes an adult, but the topic will need full discussion with the individual, and the maturity of the adolescent will be an important factor. Most research on genetic disorders requires samples from patients, and many workers have a large series of stored DNA samples from both affected and at-risk family members.
