What does it mean to be a carrier of a genetic condition?

We are all carriers of several genetic disease mutations, only some of which can be tested for with today's technology. If you had an expanded genetic disease panel today, there is an 85+% chance you will find out you are a carrier for at least one gene. As carriers, we are expected to stay healthy. Although there are some rare exceptions, finding out we are a carrier does not raise concern for our own health but rather identifies issues that need to be addressed before we have children.

If one person is a known carrier of a recessive genetic disease, we ideally want to know the partner’s carrier status for the same disease gene. Two people who are both carriers of the same recessive genetic disease have a 25% chance of having an affected child. If both parents are tested negative for the same gene, or if only one is a carrier after both are tested, they are considered low risk.