Ashkenazi Jewish Genetic Panel (AJGP)

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 should also 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.²

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 counselling 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.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated: October 12, 2006
Medical Review:	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Siobhan M. Dolan, MD, MPH - Reproductive Genetics Renee H. Martin, PhD - Medical Genetics
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