As the U.S. government struggles to make good on its promise to reunite all 3,000 children and parents who wereย separated at the border, it would seem like its use of DNA testing would be universally celebrated.
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Instead, immigrant advocates lambasted the move.
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Children arenโt qualified to agree to participate in the saliva-collection procedure. Nor can their separated parents give permission on their behalf from afar, obviously โ which are violations of international scientific standards of informed consent. And what about children with legitimate non-biological parents or whose parents have already been deported to Central America without them โ far away from the nearest spit tube?
But the entrenched opposition also reflects a deep general discomfort about the role of DNA science among immigrant and minority communities.
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A 2016 study inย Public Health Genomicsย about Latino peopleโs attitudes regarding genetic testing revealed rampant mistrust: Respondents said they were concerned about doctors using their health information for unauthorized research or health and life insurance companies denying them coverage after learning they were at risk for future diseases.
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Letโs hope the government will use good science responsibly to bring quick relief to anguished children and parents. Not only does it give us a shot at redemption as a country, it sends a clear message that DNA science should be embraced.
Read full, original post:ย Why Thereโs a Deep Cultural Aversion to DNA Testing, Even When It Can Reunite Separated Immigrant Families
