Genetic Counseling Service

Prenato, in partnership with Genolife, offers a telehealth genetic counseling service that can address your needs, particularly in the areas of preconception and fertility. In addition to assessing the genetic risks of transmission to your offspring based on your medical and family history, certain private genetic tests are also available to help reduce these risks.

What is Genetic Counseling?

Genetic counseling is a medical genetic’s consultation, typically conducted by a genetic counselor or a medical geneticist. All genetic counselors at Genolife are accredited by the Canadian Association of Genetic Counselors (CCGC) or the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC).

A meeting with a genetic counselor begins with an overview of the clinical issues specific to the indication, followed by a discussion of relevant medical, obstetric, and family history.

It is often mistakenly believed that genetic counseling leads directly to genetic testing, but this is not always the case. Genetic counseling can also support informed decision-making and integrate genetic information into the management of your health, as well as the health of your relatives and offspring.

If genetic testing is indicated and prescribed, we will explain its limitations and the potential implications of the results. We meet with all our patients to provide a detailed explanation of their test results, discussing follow-up options, personalized care management, and available resources and support.

Watch a short video from the Canadian Association of Genetic Counselors: What is Genetic Counseling?

Who can benefit from a genetic counseling session?

Anyone with genetic concerns, including questions about the risk of inheriting, developing, or transmitting a genetic condition.

• Medical or family history of genetic disease or conditions potentially associated with genetics (e.g., hereditary cancer, cardiovascular disease, rare diseases)
• Concerns about your genetic risk, especially in the context of adoption, consanguinity, or ethnic background with higher risk
• Genetic risk assessment for pregnancy and desire to know your options for assessing these risks (e.g., expanded carrier genetic testing)
• Fertility process including sperm or egg donation where the donor may carry a genetic risk requiring evaluation
• Infertility diagnosis with a genetic cause (e.g., azoospermia associated with Cystic Fibrosis, ovarian insufficiency associated with Fragile X Syndrome, etc.)
• Need for interpretation of a genetic test result if you wish to better understand its implications and your care options

If you’re wondering whether you could benefit from genetic counseling, complete our Genetic History Form to assist in making your decision (completing this form does not commit you to anything, and no information will be assessed or stored unless you contact the Genolife team afterward).

Expanded Carrier Screening Test

Even without a family history of genetic disease, it is possible to be a carrier of a serious genetic condition and be at risk of having a child affected by that condition. Carrier individuals typically show no symptoms, which is why genetic carrier testing can be important.

Carrier screening is a private test that allows prospective parents to identify potential risks for hundreds of genetic diseases in their future child. This genetic test, conducted before or during pregnancy, is personalized based on the couple’s concerns and can screen over 500 genes associated with recessive or X-linked conditions.

When a couple is identified as being at risk, our genetic counselors provide detailed discussions on the risks, disease characteristics, available treatment options (if any), and reproductive options (including pre-implantation, prenatal, or neonatal diagnosis).

Who can take the carrier screening test?

This test is suitable for all couples and individuals who wish to learn about genetic risks that could be passed on to their offspring. It is also applicable to individuals undergoing insemination or IVF with sperm or egg donors, adopted individuals or those with broken family ties who are unaware of their family history, couples with consanguinity, and individuals from populations at higher risk of carrying genetic conditions* (e.g., people from the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Charlevoix, and Haute-Côte-Nord regions, individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, or those from Mediterranean regions), etc.

*While some tests are available through the public system, they generally cover fewer than ten genes and vary by region. Feel free to discuss this with your doctor.