printPreconception Genetic Screening in Russians’ Assessments
Bogomiagkova E.S.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Senior Recearcher of Sociological Institute of FCTAS RAS; Assoc. Prof. Department of Theory and History of Sociology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg,Russia e.bogomyagkova@spbu.ru
Orekh E.A.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Assoc. Prof. Department of Theory and History of Sociology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg,Russia e.orekh@spbu.ru
Glukhova M.E.
independent researcher, St. Petersburg, Russia mglukhova@eu.spb.ru
The publication was prepared within the framework of the Charity Foundation «Ostrova». Project number: 123081700051-2.
Bogomiagkova E.S., Orekh E.A., Glukhova M.E. Preconception Genetic Screening in Russians’ Assessments. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2025. No 6. P. 129-142
The article presents the results of an all- Russian online survey (N = 1,653), conducted in 2024 and devoted to the investigation of the Russians’ attitudes toward predictive genetic testing at the pregnancy- planning stage – preconception carrier screening (PCS). Pregnancy planning is treated as a transforming social institution assimilating new value trends, one of which is the need to control potential risks to the health of future children. In the course of this study, empirical data were collected for the first time in Russia to characterize Russians’ awareness of and willingness to undergo such screening, as well as their experience with the procedure and related concerns. As a result, social factors that increase this willingness were identified, including prior experience with any genetic testing, the presence of chronic diseases, and respondents’ reproductive plans. Moreover, young Russians, along with members of highly educated and high-income groups, are at the peak of these social changes. It was also found that Russians possess limited knowledge about genetic diseases and their patterns of inheritance, which introduces certain caveats into the interpretation of the data obtained. Although predictive practices are gradually reshaping the institution of pregnancy planning, the routinization of PCS in our country remains a matter for the future.
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