Cultural and Ethnic Diversity: A Guide for Genetics Professionals

Complete with guidelines for genetic screening and counseling, this enlightening handbook should be on the shelf of every geneticist, genetic counselor, cross-cultural counselor, genetics and health care professional, and professional-in-training.

As more disease-causing genes become identified, an increasing number of people will seek accurate scientific information and counsel when making decisions about family planning and health care. While genetic counselors are trained extensively in scientific methods and counseling techniques, they must also prepare themselves for working with clients from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

In chapters that show professionals how to understand the behavior and decision making of people from diverse cultural and ethnic groups, genetics experts offer insights and information about people who belong to Latin American, African, Native American, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Jewish ethnic groups, as well as individuals within the deaf community. Each population overview (in many instances written by a member of the culture under consideration) includes the group's history, migrational patterns, religious beliefs, family structure, traditional medical practices, and incidence of genetic disease. Complete with guidelines for genetic screening and counseling, this enlightening handbook should be on the shelf of every geneticist, genetic counselor, cross-cultural counselor, genetics and health care professional, and professional-in-training.

Nancy L. Fisher, R.N., M.D., M.P.H., is clinical associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle.