One copy is fine.
Two is the problem.
Most people carry at least one recessive condition and never know it. Carriers are healthy. But if you both carry the same one, every pregnancy rolls these odds.
There's usually no family history to warn you. Most babies born with recessive conditions have parents with no idea they were carriers.
What it screens for.
An expanded carrier screen checks hundreds of recessive and X-linked conditions in one go, including:
How the carrier check works.
A real clinical test through certified lab partners, without the clinic waiting room.
Order as a couple
Answer a short health questionnaire online. A licensed physician reviews it and orders your test.
Collect at home
Each of you gets a collection kit, saliva or blood depending on the panel. Mail it back to a CLIA-certified lab.
Get a couple result
Not two confusing PDFs. One answer: do you two carry the same condition or not?
Talk to a counselor
Every couple can book a genetic counselor to go over the result, whatever it says.
Which check do we need?
Are we related?
For couples who want to rule out being siblings, half-siblings or cousins: donor-conceived, adopted, from small communities, or just curious. Uses DNA files you may already have.
Check now, freeCould our kids inherit something?
For every couple planning a family, related or not. Essential if you're cousins or come from a community where certain conditions are common.
Join early accessWho should get screened?
US guidelines from ACOG and ACMG say carrier screening should be offered to everyone who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Doing it before pregnancy gives you the most options.
- Related couples. Cousins are much more likely to carry the same variant from a shared grandparent.
- South Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean families. Thalassemia carriers are common, and many countries recommend premarital screening. What thalassemia trait means.
- African and Caribbean ancestry. Sickle cell trait is common and usually silent.
- Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Tay-Sachs, Canavan and Gaucher are why Dor Yeshorim and JScreen exist.
- Anyone using a sperm or egg donor. Ask whether the donor was screened on the same panel as you.
What about the carrier report in my 23andMe?
Consumer DNA tests check a handful of specific variants. A clinical carrier screen reads the whole gene. A "no variants detected" from a consumer test does not mean you're not a carrier.
What does it cost?
Self-pay expanded carrier screening in the US typically costs a few hundred dollars per person, and insurance often covers it when you're pregnant or trying. We'll show the full price before you order, and tell you if insurance is likely to be cheaper.
Sources: ACOG Committee Opinions 690 and 691; Gregg et al., ACMG practice resource on carrier screening, Genetics in Medicine 2021. This page is general information, not medical advice.
Carrier questions.
What is carrier screening?
A genetic test that checks whether you carry a hidden variant for a recessive condition, like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell. Carriers are usually healthy. The risk appears when both partners carry a variant for the same condition.
Why do unrelated couples need carrier screening?
Most people carry at least one recessive condition without knowing it, and there is often no family history. Two unrelated people can still carry the same one. When both partners do, each pregnancy has a 1 in 4 chance of an affected child.
Who should get carrier screening?
Major US medical guidelines (ACOG and ACMG) recommend offering it to everyone who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy. It matters even more for related couples and for families with Ashkenazi Jewish, African, Mediterranean, South Asian or Middle Eastern ancestry.
How much does carrier screening cost?
Self-pay expanded carrier screening in the US typically costs a few hundred dollars per person. Insurance often covers it when you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. We show the price before you order.
Is a 23andMe carrier report the same thing?
No. Consumer reports look at a small number of specific variants and are not diagnostic. A clinical carrier screen sequences the genes and finds far more carriers. A negative consumer report does not mean you are not a carrier.
What happens if we are both carriers of the same condition?
You talk it through with a genetic counselor. Options include testing during pregnancy, IVF with embryo testing, using a donor, adoption, or simply going ahead informed. The choice is yours.
Do we need to be related for this to matter?
No. That's the point of the carrier check. Being unrelated lowers the odds, but it doesn't rule out sharing a carrier status.
Be first in line
for the carrier check.
We're lining up lab and physician partners now. Join early access and we'll email you when the carrier check opens in your country.
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We'll email when the beta opens.