Understanding the Genetics Behind Cystic Fibrosis
How do you know if you're a carrier?
If you want to find out whether you carry the cystic fibrosis gene or not, you can get a genetic test for you and your partner. The mutation is a gene known as the CFTR gene, and it can be detected from cells taken from blood or scraped from the inside of your mouth. The gene is much more common than you might think. Over 10 million people in the United States carry this mutation and are perfectly healthy. It's estimated that 1 in 31 Americans is healthy individuals that carry this mutation. The most common race to have this mutation are Caucasians with ancestry originating in European countries.
