Many controversial issues arise in psychology. Two topics I will discuss in this essay are the controversy over genetic testing and what things would be like without genetic testing. I will describe what genetic testing is and how it can affect an individual's family life. I will discuss the benefits of genetic counseling, as well as the positives without genetic counseling, and how this issue is discussed from a psychological perspective. Genetic testing can affect a person's life in many ways. Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies changes that occur in chromosomes, proteins, and genes. These changes that occur can and often are associated with hereditary disorders. To understand genetic testing you need to have a clear understanding of your family history and previous medical records. The process of obtaining these documents requires time and patience; and the documents must be evaluated by all relatives involved. Knowing your health history should be the basis of genetic testing, but it's more complicated than that. Many people use genetic testing because they believe it is essential to know their body or the body they are bringing into the world. Parents can learn a lot of information that may be difficult to handle. From there they can plan ahead or make tough decisions. People may want to know about problems or events in advance, so they can understand how to handle the situation under consideration. This can give parents peace of mind and a sense of relief if they think a problem has arisen. This can also help with future family planning and how to handle future situations (Murza). A perfect example of family...... middle of paper......, shows that it is a main topic known in society. While genetic testing and not undergoing genetic testing can both be beneficial to society, this is a major controversy brought to the public's attention. References Hawkins, A. K., & Ho, A. (2012). Genetic counseling and ethical issues related to direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 21(3), 367-373. doi:10.1007/s10897-012-9488-8Murza, Tanya. Elizabeth, Stark. Edelson, Vaughn. (2012). Genetic Alliance: Should I Consider Genetic Testing for My Child?. : Global Communications, Inc.. Steventon, Jessica. (2009). The story of a silent angel. : Global Communications, Inc. Tarquinio, D. C., & Percy, A. K. (2011). Rett syndrome. In E. Hollander, A. Kolevzon, J. T. Coyle (Eds.), Textbook of autism spectrum disorders (pp. 107-115). Arlington, VA USA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.