Awareness about genetic testing, screening & engineering among dental students in chennai

Aim: To spread awareness and to understand individual’s opinions on the topic of genetic testing, screening and engineering though a conducted survey/questionnaire.

Materials and Methods: Formulation and distribution of a survey/ questionnaire about genetic testing, screening and engineering within the age groups from 18-49.

Results: Many individuals who have taken part in the survey had contributed to the various results which was collected:
70% did not consider having their genetic profile analyzed to learn if you are susceptible to diseases. Due the fact of many people not considering to get their genetic profile analyzed, 91% of the individual’s of a group of 40 people have never undergone any type of genetic testing. 60%; being the leading cause, have never given it thought or never thought about undergoing genetic testing & 32%; being the second leading cause, have answered cost as a reason for why they have not been tested. The most commonly asked question, of who should have access to the individual’s genetic information besides the doctor, resulted in 70% being themselves & 25% being family members.

Conclusion: From a controlled group of 40 people ranging from the age groups 18-49, a survey/ questionnaire was conducted to obtain individuals opinion on the topic genetic testing, screening and engineering. Based on the results gathered, I was able to conclude that from the people who have answered the survey, more than half the individuals have never taken part in genetic testing due to factors, such as lack of knowledge on the subject or due to their financial status. In addition, fear of personal information being leaked has created a colossal amount of individuals who would rather want to keep this information personal rather than having it revealed to others. In conclusion genetic testing, screening and engineering is a growing field in science which many people in today’s society have never given it much thought or are unaware of the science behind it and this must rapidly be changed in the near future.