Positively Testing
In: Families in society: the journal of contemporary human services, Band 79, Heft 6, S. 570-576
ISSN: 1945-1350
Pre-symptomatic genetic testing for late onset diseases is a modem method of conquering the ever-menacing unknown. Individuals and families at risk for hereditary illnesses are increasingly striking out into this new technology in the hopes of either ridding themselves of their worst fears or preparing for the future. Yet, being a pioneer in this powerful technology has meant that these individuals are often forced to negotiate the anxiety and stressors caused by the result on their own without the support of social work interventions. This paper will describe the personal and familial crises of five individuals who pre-symptomatically tested positive for Huntington's disease and how three specific social work interventions (individual and family counseling, peer support groups, and advocacy), could have been more helpful to these individuals and their family constellations.