The satirical website aims to push back against the growing direct-to-consumer genetic testing market, which some scientists say runs the risk of peddling pseudoscience. The website notes, “Genetic variants have been connected to human disease! You may be at risk,” before offering to test a user for “only $199.95.”
Without payment, Yes or No Genomics — which is housed on a website for Dr. Montgomery’s lab at Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine — redirects to a page that states: “Yes, you do” have genetic variants. The message highlights how everyone has genetic variants, according to Gizmodo.
In recent years, direct-to-consumer genetic tests have offered to detect a range of conditions, from what disease an individual may be at risk of developing to what kind of wine one would enjoy best. Lately, many scientists have taken issue with a particular test that purports to improve a child’s ability to play soccer through a “genetics-based training regimen,” according to Gizmodo.
“Clearly, there is a whole world of companies that are trying to take advantage of people,” Dr. Montgomery told Gizmodo. “Sports, health advice, nutrition … companies are coming out saying, ‘We can look at your DNA and tell you what you should be doing.'”
“Really, though, we’re still trying to understand the basics of genetic architecture,” he continued. “We need to help people avoid getting caught in these genetic traps.”
Click here to view the full website.
More articles on health IT:
CHIME to conduct ‘Health Care’s Most Wired’ survey
House 2018 budget proposal would ask HHS to consider patient matching
Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation taps former Epic lead for VP of data science
