A strong community is a healthy community. Thursday, October 29, 6 pm • Sandler Family Campus
To support Tidewater’s growing Jewish community, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater is partnering with JScreen to host a life-saving educational event this fall. Whether planning a family or looking to understand personal hereditary cancer risks, proactive screening and access to preventative genetic testing can help secure healthier futures.
Centuries of shared ancestry mean that people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent face significantly higher genetic health risks than the general population. Consider:
- One in three to one in four Ashkenazi Jews carry a gene mutation for serious recessive conditions such as Tay-Sachs or Canavan disease. This is 10 times higher than the general population.
- No symptoms. Most carriers show zero symptoms. Testing is the only way to know one’s status.
- A 25% risk. If both parents carry the same recessive gene, there is a one-in-four chance their child will inherit the disease.
- Cancer risks. Ashkenazi populations also face a much higher prevalence of BRCA gene mutations, which are linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
The event offers affordable genetic testing, emphasizing that knowledge is a key tool in early prevention and proactive health management. Attendees will gain insights into two primary screening options:
- Hereditary Cancer Testing: Screens for BRCA1, BRCA2, and more than 60 genes associated with inherited cancer risks.
- Reproductive Carrier Screening: Tests for Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis, and more than 260 other conditions passed to children.
Participants will receive genetic test kits to provide and submit a sample directly at the event. The kits can also be mailed from home using a prepaid mailer. Once submitted, Jscreen’s partner, Myriad Genetics, will provide a personalized cost estimate for the test. Since some insurance carriers do not cover the cost of the test, participants can self-pay a flat rate of $249. JFS will have limited financial assistance to cover the cost of testing for participants who cannot afford the fees.
Knowledge is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to protecting one’s personal health and supporting future generations. Bringing JScreen to Tidewater gives individuals and families access to information that can truly save lives.
And, since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this is the perfect time to make the commitment to dive into this important information. An $18 subsidized event entry fee covers case review and physician test order. The standard fee is $49.
Pre-registration is highly encouraged so testing kits can be prepared in advance. On-site registration will also be available.
For additional information, contact Julie Kievit, Jewish Community Relations Manager at JFS of Tidewater, at jkievit@jfshamptonroads.org.