23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki envisions a future in which genetic testing of children and of couples before they have children is commonplace.
"If you are going to have children I think you have a responsibility to know if you are carrying anything," she tells the Guardian in a Q&A. "A lot of people tend to do the testing once they are pregnant. I personally would rather go into the decision of having a child knowing this information because then I feel like I could be a better informed potential parent."
For instance, if potential parents knew they were both cystic fibrosis carriers, they could gauge whether they wanted to go forward and, if they do, be prepared to offer the child the best possible treatment, she says.
Wojcicki adds that she, her children, and her ex-husband, Google's Sergey Brin, have all been tested.
In the UK, Wojcicki notes that 23andMe offers a report detailing customers' carrier status for 43 inherited conditions, risk of developing 11 diseases, likely response to 12 medications, and information about 41 other traits. She adds that the company has a CE mark to market their product in the UK and several European countries.