Representing risks: supporting genetic counseling

This paper discusses issues involved in decisions to bear a child given the knowledge that the child may be subjected to a genetic risk. It argues that the problem of whether to take the risk or not is predicated on the way the prospective parents have conceptualised this risk and its effects. Five levels of abstraction are described at which this risk can be represented and the implications of conceptualising the problem at each of these levels are outlined. Recommendations are made about how to explore the way--or different ways--parents conceptualise the problems involved and how to go about helping them make the decision which they will be least likely to regret subsequently, whatever the actual outcome.