Research & Screening / Genetic Counseling

Genetic Counseling

Everyone should make informed decisions about reproduction. As with other people with genetic disorders, patients with sickle cell disease have a number of issues that are specific to their condition. People who are considering children should know about the probabilities of significant genetic disorders in those children. This information requires knowledge about the genotype of both patient and partner. Counseling should be done by trained professionals, and should be non-directive. Our job as health providers is to provide the information relevant to the decision. The patient and partner should then be free to choose the path most comfortable to them.