Assessment of attitudes towards the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis in a single center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

• Published in: Journal of genetic counseling 2023-10, Vol.32 (5), p.1032-1039
• Main Authors: Alawad, Nawaf, Alangari, Abdullah, Allhybi, Abdulaziz, Masud, Nazish, Almuzaini, Faisal, Alshamari, Mohammed, Umair, Muhammad, Alfadhel, Majid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitudes; Children; Diagnosis; Genetic screening; Males; Medical diagnosis; Preimplantation genetic diagnosis; Public opinion
• ISSN: 1059-7700; 1573-3599
• DOI: 10.1002/jgc4.1713

In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the attitudes of the general public in Saudi Arabia regarding both medical and non-medical applications of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The study was conducted in King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital (KASCH) in Riyadh with a sample size of 377. Demographic information was collected, and attitudes towards applications of PGD were assessed using a pre-validated self-administered questionnaire. Out of the total sample size, 230 (61%) were males, 258 (68%) were married, 235 (63%) had one child or more, and 255 (68%) were older than 30 years of age representing the majority of participants. Only 87 (23%) of participants reported prior experience with PGD. Personally, knowing someone who had a prior experience with PGD was associated with higher attitude scores (more favorable attitudes towards PGD) (p-value = 0.04). The findings of this study indicate that our sample of Saudi individuals generally had a positive attitude towards the use of PGD.