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The ''Program for Jewish Genetic Health of Yeshiva University'' is a centralized resource for the Jewish community, addressing all health concerns related to the medical genetics of the Jewish people. The Program's stated mission is to protect the health of the current Jewish community and its future generations. Launched in 2011, the Program for Jewish Genetic Health integrates the Jewish communal responsibility of Yeshiva University with the clinical services, genetic education, and biomedical advances of its medical school, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The Program for Jewish Genetic Health has, at its core, three main objectives: #to provide accessible and affordable options for carrier testing for Jewish genetic diseases #to increase awareness and disseminate timely information regarding all aspects of genetic health to lay and professional sectors of the Jewish community #to serve as a centralized resource and support center for Jewish genetic health and associated concerns from before birth through old age. ==Carrier testing for Jewish genetic diseases== About one in four Ashkenazi Jews carries a genetic alteration associated with a recessive “Jewish genetic disease.” Many of these diseases have the potential to be severely debilitating and even fatal. A child must inherit altered genes for a given disease from both parents to have the disease. Genetic testing can identify individuals who themselves are asymptomatic carriers, but whose children may be at risk. Community-based screening for Tay-Sachs disease is considered by many to be one of the most successful public health initiatives in medical history. Although this has resulted in a near eradication of the disease from the Jewish population, the disease-causing genetic alterations still are present, and screening still is necessary in every generation. Carrier screening for many Jewish genetic disorders has become standard of care. As technology advances, so does the number of disorders for which screening is available. In addition, studies suggest that consumers desire more reproductive genetic testing, particularly for diseases that wil result in death by the age of 5. In the traditional medical model, screening for the Jewish genetic diseases usually is recommended by a woman’s obstetrician/gynecologist once the woman is contemplating a pregnancy or already pregnant. As an alternative model, community-based carrier screening programs have been established nationwide. In addition to spreading further awareness about genetic health issues, screening programs allow for carriers to be identified prior to pregnancy, and even prior to picking a future marriage partner. This enables them to have the largest number of options when considering their future families. Since health insurance policies do not universally cover the complete cost of this genetic testing, many screening programs rely on philanthropic dollars to ensure that no one is turned away due to financial barriers. The Program for Jewish Genetic Health works with the (Division of Reproductive Genetics ) at Montefiore Medical Center to screen individuals of child-bearing age in the New York metropolitan area. (Screening appointments at Montefiore ), which include private genetic counseling sessions, are open to the community and subsidies are provided to those who are uninsured or under-insured. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Program for Jewish Genetic Health」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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