WOMENS OPINIONS ON THE OFFER AND USE OF MATERNAL SERUM SCREENING

We studied the opinions and experiences concerning maternal serum scre ening of two groups of women: (A) women who were not eligible for pren atal diagnosis; and (B) women for whom prenatal diagnosis was availabl e because of advanced maternal age, and who either underwent chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. Many of the women were in favour of the availability of serum screening and would apply for this test in a future pregnancy. This applied also to many respondents who had prev iously undergone prenatal diagnosis. Most of these women, however, did not intend to decline diagnostic amniocentesis if the screening resul ts did not indicate an increased risk. The majority of the group of re spondents of 36 years and over did not consider it acceptable if age i ndication was dropped altogether. A system based on serum screening wi ll have other implications than a policy based on age indication, sinc e specific individual risk assessment is perceived as being of more si gnificance than a risk statistically derived from age alone. Serum scr eening is often seen as a means of reassurance and many women are not aware of the possible drawbacks. As technology becomes increasingly co mplicated, counselling has to be adjusted correspondingly. Further res earch is needed to establish whether and how distress can be minimized and well-considered individual choice can be achieved.