This year, Yeshiva University’s Medical Ethics Society is partnering with JScreen to host a genetic screening event, completely free of charge for all participants. JScreen is an Atlanta-based non-profit that provides genetic screening for those with Jewish lineage in order to determine the risk for hereditary diseases.
Couples who are both carriers of certain diseases, such as Tay Sachs and Cystic Fibrosis, can be healthy themselves, yet unknowingly pass these genetic disorders on to their children. A child of parents who are both carriers of a disease has a 25% chance of being born with that same disease. Early genetic screening, therefore, can be an essential step in planning for a healthy family.
The event will screen for over 100 diseases which are prominent in the Ashkenazi Jewish community. Through this screening, potential risks can be identified, empowering every student to prepare for a healthy family. People from all over, not simply those affiliated with Yeshiva University, are encouraged to come to this event, starting on Sunday, February 14th, on the Wilf campus.
Rebecca Garber, the co-president of the Medical Ethics Society (MES), said that the society “has done groundbreaking work by providing genetic screenings in the past, but we want to increase our impact this year by expanding our reach to the greater Jewish community. Everyone should be tested, and we are fortunate enough to go to a school that satisfies this need for us.”
Ari Garfinkel, co-president of MES, continued in the same vein: “Ultimately, we hope that the convenience and subsidized testing will make genetic screening an accessible reality for hundreds of people, benefiting not only the YU student body, but the greater Jewish community.”
The process of the screening itself is quite simple. A kit must be ordered online and it is easy enough to be done from one’s own home. Unlike most genetic screenings, JScreen’s test uses saliva rather than blood. This makes the process much faster and less invasive, as it takes only five minutes. The kit is then sent to the lab and the results are available within four weeks.
In an email that was sent out to the Yeshiva University undergraduate student body, Rabbi Kenneth Brander, vice president for University and Community Life at YU wrote, “We believe that all students should undergo genetic testing before marriage, preferably before dating or entering into a serious relationship. YU Roshei Yeshiva encourage students to get tested and to speak to a trained genetic counselor and a knowledgeable halachic authority about any questions they may have.”
JScreen assists greatly in offering professional genetic counseling to those identified as carriers for diseases. By partnering with JScreen, all YU students are encouraged to prepare themselves for their own healthy futures.