Acceptance of amniocentesis by low-income patients in an urban hospital

A study was made of increased accessibility of genetic services to low-income obstetric patients in Atlanta, Georgia. The proportion of black patients averaged 83%. Of 522 patients counseled from August 1976, through 1978 157 were offered amniocentesis, and 95 (61%) elected the procedure. For most of the patients (120, or 76%) who were eligible for amniocentesis, age (≥ 35 years at delivery) was an indication; and of these, only six (5%) had any prior knowledge of genetic risk. During the same time interval, 188 patients over 35 years of age who initiated prenatal care too late for prenatal diagnosis were counseled in the hospital after delivery; 101 (54%) indicated that they would have accepted amniocentesis. The conclusion was that (1) genetic services are acceptable to this socioeconomic group, and (2) accessibility and publicity are needed to promote utilization in this population.