What is it?
Starting or growing a family is one of life’s biggest decisions. It is natural to want more clarity and confidence as you take those steps.
The Familee Screen is a set of genetic tests designed to help you understand certain genetic risks before conception. It can provide information about genetic conditions that may affect your future children, as well as selected genetic conditions that may affect your own health.
Who is it for?
The Family Screen may be suitable for:
People planning a pregnancy who want to better understand their genetic risks before conception.
People seeking more genetic information than is provided by the standard 3-gene carrier screen or carrier screening options.
People without a personal or family history of a genetic condition. Most families affected by the conditions included in carrier screening do not have a known family history.
People with a personal or family history of a genetic condition. In these situations, we recommend first discussing your history with a suitably qualified health professional to help determine whether these tests are right for you.
What does it include?
The Family Screen includes the following tests, which can be ordered separately or together, depending on your needs:
Basic Carrier Screen - checks for three common inherited conditions: cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, and fragile X syndrome.
Expanded Carrier Screen - checks for more than 1,400 additional genetic conditions that can affect a child's health.
Personal Genetic Screen - checks for more than 80 genetic conditions that may affect your own health and may also be passed onto your children.
Link to a list of the genes includes in these tests
No genetic test can eliminate the risk of having a child affected by a genetic condition.
However, together these tests can provide a broader picture of the genetic risks that may be relevant to you and your family. This information can help support more informed decisions when starting or growing your family.
How much does it cost?
Medicare provides funding for the 3-gene carrier screen for female individuals who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. However, this rebate is available once in a lifetime.
If you have NOT previously had the 3-gene carrier screen, the Basic Carrier Screen will be bulk-billed and there is a flat out-of-pocket fee for the Expanded Carrier Screen, the Personal Genetic Screen, or both:
Female individual: $790
Male individual: $790
Couple (male and female partners tested at the same time): $1390
If you HAVE previously undergone the 3-gene carrier screen, there is a flat out-of-pocket fee for the Expanded Carrier Screen, the Personal Genetic Screen, or both:
Female individual: $890*
Male individual: $890
Couple (male and female partners) tested at the same time: $1590*
* Please note: carrier screening for individuals who have previously undergone the 3-gene carrier screen does not include screening for fragile X syndrome or spinal muscular atrophy.
How do I get tested?
To get tested, you will need:
A completed request form from your doctor
To complete our online consent module
This explains the purpose of the Familee Screen, what it can and cannot detect, and the types of results you may receive. We then confirm your understanding with a short quiz.
This step is essential. We will only perform testing once we know you’ve understood the information and provided your informed consent (unless you have been referred by a clinical genetics service).
To provide a saliva sample using our collection kit
After collecting your sample, send it to our laboratory using the prepaid mail bag provided.
If your doctor does not have a kit on hand, simply email a photo or scan of your completed request form to contact@preciselee.co and we’ll mail a kit directly to you.
How long does it take?
We will issue a report to your doctor within 8 weeks of receiving your sample in our laboratory.
Unless you choose to opt out and let us know, a copy of your report will be uploaded to your My Health Record.
What happens if something is found?
Your doctor will usually be the best person to discuss your results with you.
In some situations, additional professional genetic counselling may be appropriate. If your doctor provides a referral, we can arrange one complimentary telehealth appointment with a qualified genetic counsellor in the following situations:
Both partners have been tested through Preciselee and are found to be carriers of the same condition
A female individual is found to be a carrier of an X-linked condition
An individual is found to have a result on the Personal Genetic Screen that has implications for their own health
I have more questions
Our team is available to help you at contact@preciselee.co
Family Screen
