One Bad Take: A Daily Newspaper Misses the Target on Prenatal Testing
On Jan. 1, 2022, The New York Times published an article, “When They Warn of Rare Disorders, These Prenatal Tests are Usually Wrong,” arguing that positive test results from prenatal genetic screenings are incorrect 85 percent of the time. The article discusses the five most common microdeletion tests and shares personal stories of women who have experienced fear and anxiety, after receiving false positives.
The article presents a skewed view of both screening and rare diseases, which has caused a storm on social media in the rare community. Genetic counselor Elizabeth Kearney joins the conversation, expertly addressing the article’s inaccuracies and assumptions.
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Send a letter to the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/08/opinion/letters/prenatal-genetic-tests.html
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Elizabeth Kearney
Elizabeth Kearney, MS, CGC, MBA is a licensed genetic counselor and founder of Mainstream Genomics, LLC, which aims to help people who are pregnant or planning for pregnancy find the right genetic services for them. She is a past President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and speakers nationally and regionally as a thought leader in genetic service delivery. Liz has a Master’s in Human Genetics From the University of Michigan and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She can be reached via her website or email.