The tests for the genes involved in MODY diabetes have been commercially available for several years years. I maintain a page about MODY and have heard from many people who have had these tests. They are important because they often turn up the fact that people who have been diagnosed as having Type 2 or Type 1 were given the wrong diagnosis. Because many doctors are ignorant about MODY many of us with MODY are improperly diagnosed to start with.
Anyone with a family history of mixed diabetes diagnoses (both type 1 and type 2) or a family history of normal weight people diagnosed with Type 2, should consider these tests as they have important treatment implications.
MODY forms of diabetes are often described as rare, they may not really be rare, just underdiagnosed. The current estimate is that they explain 5% of all cases of diabetes. That's a lot of people given how many people have diabetes.
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You made a comment: "If I were planning on raising a family, this knowledge would be even more important. If I were married and if my wife also tested positive for the diabetes gene, we might think twice about having children."
My parents had diabetes on both sides of the family. They had 4 children, two of which, including your truly, have T1 diabetes. I am glad they didn't have the test available, and didn't think twice!!
Sometimes the risk is worth taking. This message is not meant to be a FLAME, but I think I was worth the chance, even though I did end up having diabetes, and I hope you think you were worth it also, Dave.