What If I Am a Carrier?

It is more common to be a carrier of a genetic disease, such as cystic fibrosis (CF), than to have the disease. If tests show that you are a carrier of a disease, your partner also should be tested. Both parents must be carriers of a disease for a child to have the disease.

The tests are not 100% accurate, so a person may test negative and yet be a carrier. If you are a carrier and your partner tests negative, there is still a very small chance that you will have a child with the disease.¹

If you and your partner are both carriers of a genetic disease, there is a 1-in-4 (25%) chance that your child will have the disease.

• If you are not already pregnant, you may wish to have genetic counseling to understand your risks and options if you decide to have children.
• If you are already pregnant, you may wish to have tests, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, to help find out whether your baby has a disease.

Is the Test Accurate?

About 90% of the time, the test accurately shows whether or not a person is a carrier of an Ashkenazi Jewish genetic disease. So there is a small chance that you may be a carrier of one of these diseases even if the test results are negative.¹