GENETIC RISK AND REPRODUCTION

Research was conducted with women who had experience of Duchenne Muscu lar Dystrophy (Duchenne) in the family. Intensive, qualitative intervi ews were conducted with a two-generational sample of women. This paper concentrates on the reported experiences of women who became pregnant while being aware of medically defined genetic carrier risk. Three ty pes of reproductive decision-making are identified: risk-taking, risk- refusing and risk modifying. It is argued that there is no simple rela tionship between women's genetic risk and their subsequent reproductiv e actions. Of more significance is the women's prior biographical expe rience, their interpretation of the information available to them, the ir definition of the situation, and their reproductive expectations. G enetic risk information, transmitted in the genetic counselling discou rse, does not determine women's actions, which are accounted for in te rms of an interpretative perspective.