Attitudes of the broader hearing, deaf, and hard-of-hearing community toward genetic testing for deafness.

Abstract

To assess attitudes in a nonmedically and nonculturally influenced setting of reproductive-age adults toward genetic testing for deafness in newborns. Hearing, deaf, and hard-of-hearing individuals at a university completed questionnaires assessing attitudes toward genetic testing. Eighty-five percent of hearing (n = 133) and 62% of deaf/hard-of-hearing (n = 89) individuals would allow genetic testing for deafness in their own newborn. These results indicate an acceptance of newborn genetic testing for deafness by individuals in the broader community, regardless of hearing status.