Health Tools

Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.

	Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems.
	Pregnancy: Should I Have Amniocentesis?
	Pregnancy: Should I Have CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling)?

What Is an Ashkenazi Jewish Genetic Panel (AJGP)?

An Ashkenazi Jewish genetic panel (AJGP) is a blood test that looks for genetic diseases that occur more often in people of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish heritage. These diseases do not just affect people of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage but are more common in this group of people. Other racial and ethnic groups have genetic diseases that are more common in their groups.

An AJGP test tells parents if they have an increased chance of having a child with certain genetic diseases. Anyone who is interested in knowing his or her carrier status can ask for the test, but a doctor must order the test. Different labs may have different tests in the panel.

Talk to your doctor about which diseases are important for your family. Genetic counseling can help you understand the test and possible results so you can make the best decision for you.