Open AccessControversies in implementing n on‐invasive prenatal testing in a public antenatal care program
Author(s) -
Salvesen Kjell Åsmund Blix,
Glad Ragnhild,
Sitras Vasilis
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1111/aogs.14351
Subject(s) - medicine , prenatal care , trisomy , autonomy , family medicine , public health , pregnancy , obstetrics , genetic counseling , cell free fetal dna , gynecology , prenatal diagnosis , nursing , environmental health , population , fetus , genetics , political science , law , biology
Women's autonomy and an inclusive society for all individuals are highly valued in Norway. The Norwegian Biotechnology Act changed in 2020 allowing first‐trimester screening and cell‐free DNA for common trisomies to all pregnant women. However, implementing non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in a public antenatal care program is difficult, because many patients, politicians, and medical professionals do not consider trisomy 21 a severe medical disease. Screening for trisomies at an early gestation might inevitably lead to an increase in pregnancy terminations and making cost–benefit calculations is ethically challenging. Moreover, offering NIPT to all pregnant women is debatable because of the lower prevalence of fetal trisomies in younger women. Therefore, appropriate genetic pre‐test counseling is essential. Furthermore, organizing the service between private institutions and public hospitals poses another debate and challenges both quality and equal access to health services for women across the country.