prepair carrier screening

Thinking about having a baby or
currently pregnant?

Understanding what's in your genes can help you make informed
choices about family planning.

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Carrier screening gives people planning a pregnancy or in early pregnancy, information about the chance of having a child with a genetic condition. About 2% of couples have an increased chance of having a child with a genetic condition. Most of these people do not have a family history of the condition. Carrier screening involves testing you and your reproductive partner to find out if you are carriers for a genetic condition.

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Genetic conditions are caused by changes in our genes. Genes are instructions that tell our body how to develop and function. Everyone has changes in some of their genes. While these changes are usually harmless, sometimes they can make the gene faulty. Genes come in pairs, having one faulty copy of a gene and one working copy is called being a carrier.

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Being a carrier does not usually affect your own health. Faulty genes can be passed on from one or both parents and can result in a genetic condition. If you and your partner are both carriers for the same condition, you usually have a 25% or one in four chance of having a child with that condition. Knowing this information can be useful when planning a pregnancy or in early pregnancy.

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Our genetic counselling team are here to help you understand your results and options for further testing or planning a pregnancy. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and carrier screening is relevant to everyone. Deciding to have or not have carrier screening is your choice. We can support you in making a decision that is right for you.

5 things to know about carrier screening

Carrier screening involves testing you and your reproductive partner to find out if you are carriers for a genetic condition.
Having one faulty copy and one working copy of a gene is called being a carrier. Being a carrier usually does not affect your health.
Most people who are identified as a carrier have no family history of the condition.
If you and your reproductive partner are both carriers for the same condition, you usually have a 1 in 4 (or 25%) chance of having a child with that condition.
Knowing this information can be useful when starting a family.

Is carrier screening right for me?

Choosing to have carrier screening is a personal choice and there are lots of things to consider. Here are some points to help you think about your feelings and views on this test. It may help to discuss these with your partner (or doctor) before having screening.

Carrier screening is optional. Is this something you want to do?
Do you want information about your chance of having children with an inherited genetic condition?
Would you feel reassured by a result showing there was a low chance of having children with an inherited genetic condition?
How might you feel if your results show you have an increased chance of having children with an inherited genetic condition?

Would you use this information for reproductive planning or decision-making?

Some people with an increased chance of having children with an inherited genetic condition choose to:

(if currently pregnant)

have prenatal diagnostic testing (chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis) with the option to continue or end an affected pregnancy
do nothing differently, with the option to test the baby after birth

(if not yet pregnant)

use IVF with genetic testing of embryos to avoid having children with the condition
use a donor (sperm, egg or embryo) to avoid having children with the condition
adopt a child

Every couple will make different choices, and our team can support you in making choices right for you.

How to arrange testing through VCGS

Step 1
Consider the prepair option that is right for you.
Contact our genetic counsellors if you have questions.
Email us
Step 2
Choose your test option below.
This will take you to our order & pay portal.
Step 3
We'll send you a saliva kit to collect your sample.
Follow the instructions provided and return your sample to VCGS.