Community
Genetics Program

Welcome to the Wolper Jewish Hospital Preconception Genetic Screening Program

Which conditions are covered by the tests?

Conditions are included in the Program if they:

  1. a) Consistently cause severe disease in childhood

  2. b) Are well-studied and understood by scientists

  3. c) Are common enough in the population being screened to make screening effective

The Preconception Genetic Screening Program gives you two options for genetic screening. Both options use a self collected saliva or cheek swab sample (depending on the testing you choose).

Option 1

  • The Preconception Genetic Screening Program offers free testing of the most common serious genetic conditions found in the Jewish community

  • Testing is done through NSW Health Pathology

  • There is no cost if you choose this testing

The conditions covered by this testing are listed below:

This list includes the nine conditions that are currently screened in the High School Genetic Screening Program. This Program has been offering genetic screening in Sydney’s Jewish schools for over 25 years and has had a significant impact on reducing the rate of conditions such as Tay Sachs disease in the Jewish community.

Option 2

  • You may want to know if you are a carrier of over 500 different conditions which are not all especially common in our Jewish community, but are found in all different populations around the world.

  • Testing is done through a US based laboratory called Invitae

  • This option costs US$299 for you and US$225 for your partner, paid directly to the Invitae laboratory.

  • This test includes all of the conditions covered in option 1

  • It is important to remember that more than half of people tested for this large number of genes will be found to carry at least one gene fault. Our genetic counsellor will be able to tell you the chance that your partner would carry a fault in the same gene, and arrange testing, before you plan a pregnancy.

A full list of conditions covered by this test can be found on Invitae’s website here.

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