title: "It was an Emotional Baby": Previvors' Family Planning Decision-Making Styles about Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk.
abstract: Women who test positive for a BRCA genetic mutation are at an increased risk for developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and have a 50% chance of passing on their genetic mutation to their children. The purpose of this study was to investigate how women who test positive for a BRCA mutation but have not been diagnosed with cancer make decisions regarding family planning. Analysis of interviews with 20 women revealed they engage in logical and emotional decision-making styles. Although women want to be logical to reduce their hereditary cancer risk, emotions often complicate their decision-making. Women experience fear and worry about a future cancer diagnosis, yet also desire to create a family, particularly having children through natural conception. That is, women negotiate having preventative surgeries in a logical doctor-recommended timeframe but also organize those decisions around emotional desires of motherhood. Overall, this study demonstrates the complex decisions women who test positive for a BRCA mutation must make in regards to genetic testing timing, family planning, and overall quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, The University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Ave CIS 3057, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA. marleahdeank@usf.edu.
authors.forename: Marleah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Rauscher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: BRCA1, BRCA2; Decision-making; Disease risk; Family communication; Genetic risk; Genetic testing; Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer; Qualitative research