Prenatal genetic testing for psychiatric conditions is particularly controversial, because—unless preimplantation genetic diagnosis is used—the only available intervention is abortion. Termination of pregnancy is a drastic step in such cases, considering that many fetuses with a “positive” genetic test have only a small absolute risk of illness, potentially of limited severity. One qualitative study of 21 members of families with high rates of bipolar disorder suggested that interest in prenatal testing is limited by several factors: personal opposition to abortion, optimism that new treatments will become available, and a belief that life involves so many risks that one additional risk factor might have little impact (Meiser et al., 2005).
