High School Genetic Screening Program

The High School Genetics Screening Program provides year 11 students at Emanuel College, Kesser Torah College, Masada College, Moriah College and Reddam House with the opportunity to undergo genetic carrier screening. Screening is particularly relevant for individuals with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and those with a history of a genetic disorder in their family. However, the Program also includes screening for cystic fibrosis, a condition common in people from a European background.

Students would undergo genetic testing for the following 12 conditions:

• Tay Sachs disease
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Canavan disease
• Fanconi anaemia
• Familial Dysautonomia
• Bloom Syndrome
• Neimann-Pick Disease
• Glycogen Storage Disease type 1a
• Mucolipidosis type 4
• Spinal Muscular Atrophy
• Gaucher Disease
• Fragile X Syndrome

Students are presented with information about the genetic screening offered by a genetic counsellor, and are given a few days to discuss this with their parents and to decide whether or not they would like to undergo screening before they provide DNA samples via a cheek swab.

The screening is covered by Medicare for each student.

How are results reported:

Results are reported to you in the same way as other pathology results. If you are not a carrier of the faulty gene, your results will be sent to you by mail/email after you reach the age of 18. If your results indicate that you are a genetic carrier, your results will be given to you by a genetic counsellor, so that any questions that may arise can be answered.

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For more information, go to the links below:

• Preconception Genetic Screening
• Genetics
• Diseases
• FAQs
• BRCA JeneScreen Genetic Screening Program