JGenes Pittsburgh

Since 2010, a Jewish genetic education and screening program in Pittsburgh has identified Jewish people between the ages of 18-40, to undergo pre-conception screening. In a programmatic relationship with The Victor Center of the Einstein Medical Center of Philadelphia, over 500 people were screened for 19 recessive genetic diseases. Of these, one in 3.6 people were carriers, some with more than one disease mutation. Screenings were done with pre-screening genetic counseling and informed consent. Genetic Counselors explained the program and the implications of the results. As the technology continuously approaches cheaper genomic investigation and more complete sequencing, it is believed that this program should be absorbed into the natural annual life cycle of every Jew. As there is a cycle of vaccinations, so should understanding your inherited genetic make up be understood so that you can make choices and decisions with full knowledge of the potential risks of those decisions.