Question

A genetic counselor helps a family understand that genetic testing can reveal carrier status for recessive conditions. The family asks why carrier testing is important if carriers don't show symptoms. How should the counselor explain the significance?
Question 9 options:

Only people who show symptoms need to worry about genetic inheritance

Carriers can pass recessive alleles to children, risk increases when both parents are carriers

Carrier status automatically means children will have the genetic condition

Carrier testing is unnecessary because carriers cannot have affected children

Answer 1

"Carriers can pass recessive alleles to children, risk increases when both parents are carriers."

Explanation: Carriers typically don't show symptoms but can pass a pathogenic recessive allele to their children. If both parents are carriers of the same recessive condition, each pregnancy has about a 25% chance the child will be affected, 50% chance the child will be a carrier, and 25% chance the child will be unaffected and not a carrier. Carrier testing informs reproductive risk and options (prenatal testing, IVF with PGT, use of donor gametes, or informed family planning). The other statements are incorrect.