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People already post their 23andMe "results" on their dating profiles to say "I'm clean and healthy with good genetics!" The GATTACA society is rapidly becoming

People already post their 23andMe "results" on their dating profiles to say "I'm clean and healthy with good genetics!" The GATTACA society is rapidly becoming reality, just not institutionalized yet.

Ultimatt 9y ago
Great. Maybe we will have less cystic fibrosis in the world. Not sure many people would argue they would be keen for their children to inherit that. There is a big difference between knowing you naturally are a carrier of a disease, and acting on that info, and then manipulating radically and arbitrarily the genetics of humanity. Regulation internationally is fairly clear, sifting out incredibly debilitating disease is going to be ok. Making your children more aryan looking, not so much. Now if only they posted a recent STI panel result too.
- cbr 9y ago
  "Making your children more aryan looking, not so much" People strongly consider race in dating; we're kind of already there: https://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/race-attraction-2009-2014/ https://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/race-attraction-2009-2014...
- StavrosK 9y ago
  You'd be fine with someone not finding a partner because they have a chance that their child would carry a disease? Something like "I cannot find a husband because my child will have a 5% chance of cystic fibrosis, so nobody will go for me".
  - DoreenMichele 9y ago
    That isn't remotely how that works. There is no circumstance whatsoever where your child has a 5 percent chance of having CF. CF is a homozygous recessive disorder. Both parents have to contribute a defective gene in order for the child to have CF. If one parent is a carrier and the other is not, there is zero chance of the child having CF, barring random mutations which have been known to happen. If both parents are carriers, there is a 50 percent chance the child will be a carrier, a 25 percent chance the child will have no defective genes and a 25 percent chance the child will have CF. If you actually have CF, you have two defective genes and you can only produce children who are either carriers or who have CF, depending on the genes contributed by the other parent. If the other parent is not a carrier, the children cannot have CF. As someone who both has CF and has raised a child with it, I absolutely do not want more children with CF. It's a horrible burden for the parents and only a deeply sick sadist would wish such a thing upon their child. I have never lacked for male interest. I don't know why the hell that is because I'm quite open about my medical situation. I am now menopausal, so it is a moot point. But I absolutely spent some years agonizing over how to screen out CF carriers from the dating pool. Having another child with CF is one of my worst nightmares. I would rather be taken out and shot.
    - StavrosK 9y ago
      Sure, that's for CF, but my question still stands for all the other heritable diseases.
      - DoreenMichele 9y ago
        Uh, no. All other heritable diseases are either homozygous recessive or they are passed via a single dominant gene. In neither case is there a 5 percent chance of passing it on. All recessive disorders follow the exact same math outlined above. This is genetics 101.
        StavrosK 9y ago
        Are you being intentionally obtuse? I am asking if you (and the GP) are okay with people not being able to mate if they have hereditary diseases that they can pass on to their children. CF, heart disease, cancer, whatever, it doesn't change my point.
        DoreenMichele 9y ago
        Are you being intentionally obtuse? No, but you are being intentionally insulting in violation of HN guidelines and also moving the goal posts. I already stated above my diagnosis appears to be no barrier whatsoever to getting romantically involved with someone. Except from my end, as I have chosen to be celibate for medical reasons for a lot of years. I am 100 percent okay with someone like me being able to screen out carriers. Because I have CF, it is entirely up to the father's genetic contribution as to the outcome. I am also 100 percent okay with having some means to have a potentially awkward conversation up front. There are, in fact, worse things in life than sleeping alone.
        propman 9y ago
        I think the OP you responded to is being intentionally obtuse, you have made your point clear repeatedly. If you are aware you have CF gene and are also aware your partner does too, then you will not mate with them and instead find another mate. Some diseases can be eliminated like this. I also have a condition similar to you and there is no way I'm letting another child suffer with that, so I'm not going to ever mate with a woman who carries that gene.
notahacker 9y ago
I can imagine "look at me, my genes are superb!" having a slightly different effect on potential dating partners' level of interest to the one intended...
908087 9y ago
Is that really a thing now? Sounds like it would have the opposite of the intended effect on most people. How awkward. "I don't really have much to offer, but this DNA surveillance company says I have great genes!"
- chrisan 9y ago
  I don't think it is _super_ awkward. Most of my friends, prior to having children, get screened https://www.webmd.com/baby/genetic-tests-before-pregnancy https://www.webmd.com/baby/genetic-tests-before-pregnancy I understand the negatives of having everyone compare genes can get kinda "master race"-ish but at the same time it is still heart breaking for kids to be born with stuff that could be prevented. For people really heart-set on having children, I think it would be important to know your odds ahead of time before you get to the point of "ok lets have a kid together".

Ultimatt 9y ago

Great. Maybe we will have less cystic fibrosis in the world. Not sure many people would argue they would be keen for their children to inherit that. There is a big difference between knowing you naturally are a carrier of a disease, and acting on that info, and then manipulating radically and arbitrarily the genetics of humanity. Regulation internationally is fairly clear, sifting out incredibly debilitating disease is going to be ok. Making your children more aryan looking, not so much. Now if only they posted a recent STI panel result too.

cbr 9y ago
"Making your children more aryan looking, not so much" People strongly consider race in dating; we're kind of already there: https://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/race-attraction-2009-2014/ https://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/race-attraction-2009-2014...
StavrosK 9y ago
You'd be fine with someone not finding a partner because they have a chance that their child would carry a disease? Something like "I cannot find a husband because my child will have a 5% chance of cystic fibrosis, so nobody will go for me".
- DoreenMichele 9y ago
  That isn't remotely how that works. There is no circumstance whatsoever where your child has a 5 percent chance of having CF. CF is a homozygous recessive disorder. Both parents have to contribute a defective gene in order for the child to have CF. If one parent is a carrier and the other is not, there is zero chance of the child having CF, barring random mutations which have been known to happen. If both parents are carriers, there is a 50 percent chance the child will be a carrier, a 25 percent chance the child will have no defective genes and a 25 percent chance the child will have CF. If you actually have CF, you have two defective genes and you can only produce children who are either carriers or who have CF, depending on the genes contributed by the other parent. If the other parent is not a carrier, the children cannot have CF. As someone who both has CF and has raised a child with it, I absolutely do not want more children with CF. It's a horrible burden for the parents and only a deeply sick sadist would wish such a thing upon their child. I have never lacked for male interest. I don't know why the hell that is because I'm quite open about my medical situation. I am now menopausal, so it is a moot point. But I absolutely spent some years agonizing over how to screen out CF carriers from the dating pool. Having another child with CF is one of my worst nightmares. I would rather be taken out and shot.
  - StavrosK 9y ago
    Sure, that's for CF, but my question still stands for all the other heritable diseases.
    - DoreenMichele 9y ago
      Uh, no. All other heritable diseases are either homozygous recessive or they are passed via a single dominant gene. In neither case is there a 5 percent chance of passing it on. All recessive disorders follow the exact same math outlined above. This is genetics 101.
      - StavrosK 9y ago
        Are you being intentionally obtuse? I am asking if you (and the GP) are okay with people not being able to mate if they have hereditary diseases that they can pass on to their children. CF, heart disease, cancer, whatever, it doesn't change my point.
        DoreenMichele 9y ago
        Are you being intentionally obtuse? No, but you are being intentionally insulting in violation of HN guidelines and also moving the goal posts. I already stated above my diagnosis appears to be no barrier whatsoever to getting romantically involved with someone. Except from my end, as I have chosen to be celibate for medical reasons for a lot of years. I am 100 percent okay with someone like me being able to screen out carriers. Because I have CF, it is entirely up to the father's genetic contribution as to the outcome. I am also 100 percent okay with having some means to have a potentially awkward conversation up front. There are, in fact, worse things in life than sleeping alone.
        propman 9y ago
        I think the OP you responded to is being intentionally obtuse, you have made your point clear repeatedly. If you are aware you have CF gene and are also aware your partner does too, then you will not mate with them and instead find another mate. Some diseases can be eliminated like this. I also have a condition similar to you and there is no way I'm letting another child suffer with that, so I'm not going to ever mate with a woman who carries that gene.

notahacker 9y ago

I can imagine "look at me, my genes are superb!" having a slightly different effect on potential dating partners' level of interest to the one intended...

908087 9y ago

Is that really a thing now? Sounds like it would have the opposite of the intended effect on most people. How awkward. "I don't really have much to offer, but this DNA surveillance company says I have great genes!"

chrisan 9y ago
I don't think it is _super_ awkward. Most of my friends, prior to having children, get screened https://www.webmd.com/baby/genetic-tests-before-pregnancy https://www.webmd.com/baby/genetic-tests-before-pregnancy I understand the negatives of having everyone compare genes can get kinda "master race"-ish but at the same time it is still heart breaking for kids to be born with stuff that could be prevented. For people really heart-set on having children, I think it would be important to know your odds ahead of time before you get to the point of "ok lets have a kid together".