NSGC is aware of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting article posted on Sunday, March 6 by investigative reporter Beth Daley. 

NSGC has a Code of Ethics that provides guidance for our members and the profession. The Code of Ethics clearly states, “The primary concern of genetic counselors is the interests of their clients.” All genetic counselors are trained to place their clients/patients at the forefront of everything they do. 

In addition, NSGC actively supports state licensure for genetic counselors to ensure that an oversight body exists for the profession and as a point of recourse for any public concerns.  

Discussions of prenatal screening tests can be very complex, and a genetic counselor can offer guidance.  While Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) has been shown to have higher sensitivity and specificity than other available screening tests, it’s important to note that this is not a diagnostic test. False positives and false negatives can occur with NIPT.  

Genetic counselors are available to work with patients and their physicians to explain NIPT and the type of information it will provide, or to review the results of this screening test.  The NSGC position statement on Noninvasive Prenatal Testing reinforces that patients with positive NIPT results should be offered confirmatory diagnostic testing via amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS).  

Genetic counselors are critical resources for patients who are considering undergoing genetic tests to help them understand the information they could receive, and what they may want to do with that information.