Abstract

Considerable innovations in genomic research have accelerated the growth of consumer-driven health technologies that utilize genetic information for health and wellness monitoring, personalized medicines and therapies, health interventions, and other prescriptive measures. While the possible gains associated with consumer genomics have been well documented, too little attention has been paid to the larger societal costs associated with their deployment. This article explores three key potentialities that have plagued genomic research before becoming commercialized, personalized, and marketed directly to consumers: (1) the potential for the affluent to manipulate their genome to maintain or enhance their socio-political and cultural status, (2) the potential for discrimination based on “faulty” of “inferior” genes, and (3) the potential exploitation of some consumers on the basis of their genes. Accordingly, this article argues that understanding the socio-historical and contemporary ethical concerns associated with the consumption of genomics could provide a path forward for understanding how the integration of genomics and other patient data could be utilized to transform public health rather than replicate race, gender, and class inequalities.