Title: Are You a Genetic Carrier?
Headings: Are You a Genetic Carrier? What It Means and How Screening Works
Are You a Genetic Carrier? What It Means and How Screening Works
What is a Genetic Carrier?
How Does a Carrier Screening Work?
Who Should Receive a Carrier Screening?
The Latest DNA Health Insights

Content: What is a Genetic Carrier? Every person carries two copies of most genes—one from each parent. Also known as a hereditary carrier or carrier, a genetic carrier is an individual who has a mutation in one copy of a gene. While, as a carrier, the person doesn’t have the disease associated with the mutation, he or she may pass this mutation on to his or her children, as a carrier has a 50% chance of passing the same mutation to the child. For soon-to-be parents, this can be worrisome because a carrier doesn’t necessarily know if he or she carries a genetic condition, as there may be no symptoms of the disease. However, if both parents discovered they were carriers for the same genetic disease, their child would have a 25% chance of inheriting both copies of the mutation, thus leading to the development of the genetic disease. For the most part, everyone carries a gene for at least one genetic disease. What’s more of a concern is if both parents have the same mutation. However, it’s important to note that there are a few conditions that can be caused by a mutation in just one set of DNA, as opposed to a set from each parent. Huntington’s disease is just one example.