Ashkenazi Jewish Genetic Panel (AJGP)

Should I Be Tested?

The decision to be tested is a personal one. You may wish to be tested if you are concerned that you or your partner might be carriers of a disease that is on the test panel. This may be especially likely if either of you has a family member with the disease.

Some people decide to be tested to know their chance for having a child with a disease. For example, among people of Eastern European Jewish heritage, about 1 in 25 is a carrier of a gene for cystic fibrosis; it is less common in other racial and ethnic groups.

Carrier tests are expensive. Another factor that may guide the decision to have the tests is whether the cost of the tests is covered by your insurance company.

You may decide to have carrier tests if you are already pregnant and the test results will affect your decision to continue your pregnancy or help you make decisions about the care of your newborn child.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: May 29, 2006
Medical Review:	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Siobhan M. Dolan, MD, MPH - Reproductive Genetics
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