Attitudes about Genetic Carrier Screening within the context of Online Dating in an Adult Population of Single Adults

Pre-relationship screening through the Dor Yeshorim program has been successfully used in the Ashkenazi Jewish population to reduce the number of children born with genetic diseases, such as Tay Sachs disease. Could this same strategy be used for the online dating community? To explore this question, a national sample of 424 single adults was asked to complete an online survey. Attitudes regarding online dating in general were assessed. Forty-four percent (44.2%) of respondents reported having used online dating in the past, and almost half (47.5%) stated that they would likely do so in the future. Participants were also asked their level of concern about having a child with a genetic condition and their reproductive intentions. Only 5.7% stated that they had already had genetic carrier screening, although 40.4% indicated that they planned to do so before having children. When asked what they wanted to be screened for, 43.2% chose “As many (common or rare) diseases as possible.” After reading a description of a carrier screening program for online dating users, thirty-four percent (34%) indicated that they were interested in this service. Interest was significantly associated with a positive attitude about online dating (OR= 4.979; p=.0001). Less significantly, younger respondents (OR=.714 ; p=.021) and males (OR=.286; p=.002 ) were also more likely to be interested. In conclusion, this survey is the first to explore pre-relationship carrier screening targeting online dating users. Given the increasing popularity of online dating, this may be a viable approach to improving uptake of preconception carrier screening.