Carrier screening is a genetic test that can help you understand your risk of having a child with a genetic disorder. We are all “carriers” of one or more genetic disorders, but most of the time it is invisible (we don’t have symptoms or a family history of it). We can only find out which disorders we carry by doing carrier screening – or, by having an affected child.
Carrier screening can inform us of our risks through a simple blood (or saliva) test that screens for hundreds of disorders like cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and spinal muscular atrophy. Carrier screening is available to anyone planning a pregnancy to help you make informed reproductive choices.**
We offer a panel that screens for over 570 genetic disorders.
We arrange your blood draw at PCRM and send the sample to a third-party testing lab. Results take about 2-3 weeks, and a PCRM genetic counsellor will call you to review them.
Carrier screening costs $650 per person.
For more information on carrier screening or to arrange a test, please contact PCRM’s Genetic Counsellors: genetics@pacificfertility.ca