Everything You Need to Know about Jewish Genetic Carrier Screening {with JScreen} - Smashing the Glass

If you’re thinking of starting a family in the next few years, you might have heard about genetic carrier screening. You may even have considered getting screened yourself. But it can be hard to know where to start. The process can seem intimidating, expensive, and scary – but it doesn’t have to be any of those things. Knowing where you stand genetic disease-wise – and what your options are going forward if it turns out you are a carrier – is actually really empowering!

That’s why I’m so excited to tell you that this Wednesday, 22 July, at 9:00 am PDT / 12:00 pm EDT / 5:00 pm GDT, I’ll be chatting on Facebook with Hillary Kener Regelman, Director of National Outreach at JScreen, a US-based not-for-profit at-home education and carrier screening program for Jewish genetic diseases.

JScreen‘s mission is to give individuals and families easy access to information convenient home testing (so you can get the process started even in lockdown) at a reasonable price point. Screening for over 200 genetic diseases – including those that are commonly found in Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi Jewish populations – is performed by a certified laboratory and results are reviewed and reported to participants by genetic counselors, so if it turns out you are a carrier for a disease, your counselor will be there to talk you through the options (and there ARE options!).

Hillary will be addressing a range of topics including the following:

What is genetic carrier screening?
Who should consider genetic carrier screening?
What diseases does JScreen test for?
How accurate are the results?
Is it worth testing through JScreen if I’ve already done genetic carrier screening?
How much does JScreen cost? How does it work with insurance?
How does JScreen’s process work?
What are the next steps if a couple finds out they are carriers for a disease?

If you decide to go forward with genetic testing through JScreen, you’ll also be eligible for an $18 discount as a Smashing The Glass reader – just use the code “JScreenAtHome”

While JScreen only covers testing in the United States, this Facebook Live will include general information about genetic screening that’s relevant to individuals and couples anywhere in the world.

Hillary will be answering all your questions live, so if there’s anything you want to know about Jewish genetic screening in general or JScreen’s offerings in particular, ask away!

We’ll be chatting in real time, so you can ask Hillary and me anything you want during our live broadcast, or you can submit a question in advance by emailing karen@smashingtheglass.com

Click ‘INTERESTED’ or ‘GOING’ here to be notified just before we go live!

Tune in this Wednesday 22 July 2020, at 9 am PDT / 12:00 pm EDT / 5:00 pm GDT to facebook.com/smashingtheglass.

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