Expanded carrier screening
Screening for hundreds of serious recessive and X-linked conditions you could pass on, from a saliva sample.
What it measures
Who it's for
Planning a pregnancy or in early pregnancy and wanting screening beyond the three-gene panel, including couples with a family history, from communities with higher carrier rates, or using donor gametes. Adults aged 18 and over.
What you'll learn, and what you won't
The Medicare-rebated three-gene screen covers the three most common conditions. An expanded panel screens hundreds of genes at once. Most people are found to carry something; that is normal and usually only matters if your partner carries a change in the same gene, so a carrier result leads to partner testing (or the couple test) and a genetic counselling conversation, not alarm.
A genetic test is one input to a doctor's assessment, not a diagnosis on its own. If anything needs prompt attention a doctor contacts you directly.
How it works
- Order online. Either use the request your own doctor has signed, or a KnowLuna women's health doctor reviews your details and requests the test.
- Collect the way that suits you: at a centre near you, with a home kit, or a nurse visit (options below). Any time, ideally before pregnancy. Saliva kit at home or a blood draw. Once in a lifetime.
- Results are ready about 3 to 4 weeks from the sample reaching the laboratory, explained in your account, with a doctor to talk them through and a genetic counsellor where a result calls for it.
Choose how you collect
Every option is the same accredited test and the same report. Pick what suits you at checkout; the fee, if any, is added to either pathway price.
The kit is posted to you with instructions and a prepaid return satchel. No blood, no appointment. Included.
A quick draw at an accredited pathology collection centre near you. Usually under ten minutes. Included.
A registered nurse comes to your home or workplace for a standard blood draw. Metro areas of capital cities; other locations on request.
Common questions
Should I do the three-gene screen first?
If you are eligible, the three-gene screen is Medicare-rebated through a GP request and is a sensible first step. Expanded screening goes further and is self-pay. A KnowLuna doctor helps you decide which fits your situation.
What happens if I am a carrier?
Your partner is tested for the same gene, or you order the couple version from the start. A genetic counsellor explains the result and the reproductive options, which are widest before pregnancy.
Is my DNA kept?
No. The laboratory destroys the sample and the raw sequencing data after reporting, and never uses either for research or shares them. We name the laboratory and where it is before you order.
Then decide.