title: Parental attitudes and beliefs regarding the genetic testing of children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore parental attitudes and beliefs about genetic testing of children for conditions that present throughout the life cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve semi-structured focus groups with black and white parents were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across racial groups, most respondents want access to genetic testing and believe that parents should be the final decision-makers. While most respondents believe it is important to share genetic information with relatives, white respondents want physicians to respect confidentiality absolutely, whereas some black respondents accept physician disclosures in specific situations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Professional policy statements are restrictive about access to predictive genetic testing of children. This conflicts with parental attitudes about who should have decisional authority. While there is consensus among respondents that genetic information should be shared with relatives, respondents disagree as to who should be responsible for disclosure, and when professionals should breach patient confidentiality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Chicago, Ill 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Lainie Friedman
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D044383:Black People; D002641:Chicago; D002648:Child; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D005820:Genetic Testing; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D044469:Racial Groups; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American