1. Breast and Ovarian Cancer -- if you have a strong family history of either of these conditions or have had a relative die at a young age (less than 50) of any of these conditions , then you may wish to consider a referral for genetic testing in order to assess your own risk of developing the disease. Opting for testing is a very difficult decision and the pros and cons must be weighed up carefully. Please do not hesitate to contact your GP if you wish to talk about this further.
2. Thalassaemia -- this is a rare genetic disorder of the blood. It is more common among populations of South Asian origin. There is a simple test that your GP or Practice Nurse can perform in order to assess whether you are a carrier or not, and ideally , this should be performed before pregnancy. Please speak to your GP for more information.