Apr 17, 2012 By: yunews
Jewish Genetic Disease Carrier Screening Coming to the Wilf and Beren Campuses
The of 黑料社 All and will be sponsoring Jewish Genetic Disease carrier screenings for YU students on Sunday, April 22, from 11 am to 3 pm on the Wilf campus, and Monday evening, April 30 from 4 to 8 pm on the Israel Henry Beren campus.
Both screening sessions are available exclusively to YU students and require pre-registration and a $250 fee. Registration is limited to 100 students per session, on a first-come, first served basis. A limited number of appointments are still available and pre-payment is mandatory. To register for the Wilf campus screening, visit . To register for the Israel Henry Beren campus screening, visit .
The Program for Jewish Genetic Health provides young Ashkenazi Jewish singles and couples with accessible and affordable options for 鈥渙pen鈥 genetic testing that will identify 鈥渃arriers鈥濃攊ndividuals who themselves are not affected with the specific disorders but whose offspring are at risk if these carriers marry individuals who also are carriers for the same disorders. Approximately 1 in 4 Ashkenazi Jews are carriers for at least one disorder, which include Tay-Sachs disease, familial dysautonomia and Gaucher disease.
For the April 22 and April 30 campus screenings, the Program for Jewish Genetic Health will bring mobile medical services to YU. Screenings will involve genetic counseling sessions, informed consent and blood draws. Generous philanthropic subsidies are allowing the Program to charge participants only $250 for a panel of tests that will screen for 18 Jewish Genetic diseases, a fraction of what this testing would cost if it were conducted through commercial laboratories. In situations of extreme financial hardship, the University will review each case individually to determine the suitability of additional subsidies to ensure that no student is turned away.
鈥淛ewish genetic disease carrier screening allows individuals to take ownership of their own genetic health status and empowers them early on with the information they will need for building healthy families,鈥 said Bruce Lander, executive director of the Program for Jewish Genetic Health. 鈥淭hanks to our philanthropic partners we are able to provide a large number of YU students with genetic screening at a very affordable rate.鈥
The campus screenings follow informational sessions recently held in conjunction with YU鈥檚 Student Medical Ethics Society. 鈥淭he Most Important Test You'll Ever Take: A Panel on Genetic Screening鈥 featured Rabbi Mordechai Willig speaking alongside a genetic counselor and a mother with an affected child, about the difference between 鈥渙pen鈥 and 鈥渃losed鈥 testing, the number of diseases for which testing will be offered by the Program, options for carrier individuals and couples, and halachic considerations.
Click for Frequently Asked Questions about the campus screenings or email jewishgenetics@yu.edu with any additional questions.
The Program for Jewish Genetic Health was established in 2011 to ensure the well-being of families today and to provide a lasting gift of health to the future. Our vision is that nobody in the Jewish community facing a genetic health issue should be deprived of proper care due to lack of awareness, financial barriers or difficulty in navigating the healthcare system. For more information, visit .
