Attitudes towardGenetic Testing among theGeneralPopulation andRelatives ofPatients witha SevereGeneticDisease: A SurveyfromFinland

Summary Inthepresent study weexplore theattitudes oftheFinnishpopulation toward genetic testing byconducting a questionnaire study ofastratified sample ofthepopulation aswell asoffamily members ofpatients with asevere hereditary disease, aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU). The questionnaire evaluated attitudes toward genetests in general andalso respondents' preparedness toundergo gene tests forpredictive testing, carrier detection, prenatal diagnosis, andselective abortion, intheoretical situations. Theresults ofthestudy indicate that boththeFinnish population ingeneral andfamily members ofAGU patients haveafavorable attitude toward genetic testing. However, acommonly expressed reason against testing wasthat test results might lead todiscrimination inemployment orinsurance policies. Based ontheresponses, wepredict that future genetic testing programs will most probably bemetwith ahigh acceptance rate bytheFinnishpopulation.