Genetic Counselor Explains Genetics & Hereditary Disease for Fertility Patients with Dena Goldberg

Your Genetics are a key part of my TUSHY Method (Y = Your genetics) and I'm so honored to have Dena Goldberg (also known far and wide as Dena DNA) joining me today!

Some of the questions I know you have on your mind about genetics are:
Nothing came back on my 23 & Me test. I'm good to go, right?
Answer: Not so fast. 23&Me relies on "SNP testing," and only looks at "very specific bookmarks on very random genes." You'll want a more thorough test for preconception screening.

I don't have any history of disease in my family. Do I need to do genetic testing?
Answer: It's a good idea. There are syndromes such as Lynch Syndrome that are asymptomatic in 90% of people who are carriers. You'll want to know if you have those genetic markers before passing them on to your embryo and child.

Can you make sure my embryo doesn't have autism?
Answer: Autism is actually a description of a constellation of symptoms. So it's not an underlying condition in and of itself. There are hundreds to thousands of genetic causes to autism. We can catch some of these cases, but not all. Autism is multifactorial, meaning that many of these cases are probably caused by a combination of genetics and environment or in other words, nature and nurture together.

Thank you for joining me, Dena!

Listen on Dr. Aimee's website

Do you have questions about IVF? Join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class at The Egg Whisperer School.
The next live class call is on Monday, December 15, 2025 at 4pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom.

Find Dena's site here: https://www.denadna.com/home

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Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby-making is what gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at www.draimee.org.