title: Motivations of women with sickle cell disease for asking their partners to undergo genetic testing.
abstract: Women with sickle cell disease (SCD) now survive well into adulthood, thus knowledge about their reproductive decision-making is becoming increasingly important to both social and medical audiences. Through in-depth interviews with 28 adult women with SCD, I explored their motivations for asking their partners to undergo prospective genetic testing. The analysis revealed several sources of motivation including participants' concerns about the potential physical suffering of future children; potential feelings of guilt and stigma; determining whether to enter or remain in an intimate relationship; and finally, their mother's lack of insisting on their father's undergo testing. These findings offer insight into the pre-conception reproductive decision-making behavior of women with SCD.
authors.affiliation: Office of Medical Student Education, University of Michigan Medical School, 3908D Taubman Health Sciences Library, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: paulat@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Paula Thompson
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Genetic testing; Reproductive decision-making; Sickle cell disease; United States of America; Women's health