ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses acceptance and uptake of genetic screening based on the results of the surveys carried out in the population and in the context of prenatal screening programmes in Finland in the 1990s. It also discusses screening programmes carried out in the light of widely cited criteria of screening. The population surveys measured general acceptance of genetic screening in Finland, knowledge about genes and heredity, and attitudes towards genetic screening in a hypothetical situation. Acceptance was highest when asked about availability of screening for everyone wanting to get information on his/her genes. Both prenatal genetic screening programmes were implemented as a part of the public health maternity services. In Finland, practically all pregnant women use the services of maternity care. The Finnish prenatal genetic screening programmes have been evaluated and found cost-effective in terms of technical feasibility and cost of testing technology.
