The scope of DNA and genetic testing can be an extremely complicated and difficult topic for the average person without a scientific degree to understand. It has become much more accessible since genomic sequencing became cheaper and genetic testing is now deployed in a wide range of health settings.
With the potential to unearth so much information about ourselves, DNA testing is a powerful tool that some consider overwhelmingly positive and useful, while others have been more sceptical. The BBC series DNA Family Secrets offers insight into a few different fields of genetic testing and offers an approachable medium into difficult subjects.
Series two, episode six continues with the series aims to frame the positive aspects of DNA testing by walking us through different people's journeys and experiences. We hear from a group of sisters who want to know if they have the same donor father. We dive into a story of a man who donated sperm in the 1980s and wants to know about any donor-conceived children that may be searching for him. We even get to hear from sisters being tested for a dangerous BRCA gene mutation that could increase their risk of breast cancer. Ultimately, this episode of DNA Family Secrets attempts to provide meaningful insight into each situation that is more easily digestible for the average viewer.
While I felt much of the episode was played out for cheap, manufactured drama, it did offer interesting insight into the subject of donor anonymity. When a man who donated sperm for four years in the 80s comes forward wishing to lift his anonymity, the programme was able to highlight some important insights into sperm donation at the time.
Thousands of men have donated sperm in the UK since then, but we hear only 200 of them have chosen to lift their anonymity. This information poses an interesting question: why is lifting anonymity such a rare occurrence among sperm donors? While some exploration of this question would have been a welcome addition to the episode, it is never brought up again after one short mention. The producers decided to lean into making the episode more entertaining, spending more time building suspense for a reveal about whether any of his genetic offspring had been tracked down, rather than focusing on this question.
After the episode aired, the man received some criticism on social media and in the press for his decision to lift anonymity. I believe that this harsh backlash from the community is partially the fault of DNA Family Secrets' makers as they failed to offer a more in-depth perspective on lifting donor anonymity.
The episode tends to favour entertainment over education, relying on host Stacey Dooley, a well-known media personality, to keep the conversations funny and fresh. While the intention is not malicious, many times it was uncomfortable to watch a TV host try and elicit emotional responses from people who have just received, or are about to receive, potentially life-altering news.
Despite this, the episode does offer some educational value through interviews with geneticists and doctors along with series regular Professor Turi King, a genetics professor from the University of Leicester. She offers scientific explanations for some of the questions being asked in the episode in a way that any non-scientist would be able to understand. She helps the show achieve the goal of making DNA and genetic testing a more comprehensible and approachable subject. I believe her presence and knowledge is one of the only redeeming factors of the episode.
While there are ways in which the episode helps highlight the positive message of DNA and genetic testing, I found the delivery of said message to be problematic as many times it came off as out of touch and insensitive. For example, certain aspects of the show were overly sensationalised for the sole purpose of creating more compelling television.
Two sisters were anxiously awaiting the results of a test that would reveal to them if they had inherited a BRCA genetic mutation from their mother which would make them significantly more likely to develop ovarian and breast cancers. While sitting in the office, the host had a long dramatic pause before giving the results as though they were on a game show waiting to reveal if the contestants had won the million-dollar prize. It felt as though the programme was trying to make light of an extremely serious situation that had life-changing implications for real people.
Ultimately, it is moments like these throughout the show that make the entire experience uneasy to watch. The show could stand to learn a little bit of grace when talking to people about to find out whether or not they may have a cancer-causing genetic mutation. Watching the show's hosts poke and prod for a manufactured response from people receiving their results made many moments feel disingenuous, distracting the viewer from the original intent of the programme. While I believe that there is value in watching DNA Family Secrets, it may be time for them to go back to the drawing board about how to better deliver their message.
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