The documentary, “Cracking your Genetic Code”, gave a fairly comprehensive look into the world of DNA sequencing and issues related with this practice. Often times, when we think of genome sequencing, the movie GATTACA comes to mind which has led many to believe that we can tailor individuals to have certain characteristics. Yet, this is far from the truth as our understanding of how genes operate is still not complete and instead we can only give probabilistic estimates. However, the most important question this documentary provoked was one that I struggled with for a couple days, “Do you want you genomes sequenced?” The examples provided in the documentary showed both sides of the dilemma. On one hand, through genome sequencing, doctors and researchers are able to gather even more information. On the other hand, many individuals don’t want their genomes sequenced in the hopes of not finding they have a high risk of a life altering disease. Moreover, many are concerned about the confidentiality of the results of their personal genome and I think this the most pressing dilemma. If employers have access to these results and can make hiring decisions based off them, many will be deterred from getting their genome sequenced. Thus, as startups become more sophisticated and sequencing becomes more common, we have to work together to create safe laws and guidelines to ensure confidentiality.

Personally, I feel that genome sequencing should become common practice in the coming years as the benefits far outweigh the costs. Allowing doctors to gain more data will help further advance medicine and create a healthier future for all.