The term "carrier screening" is used for testing members of a population to detect healthy carriers of an inherited disorder - for instance testing all pregnant mothers for carrier status for sickle cell disease.
The UK National Screening Committee co-ordinates a number of these programmes.
The term "carrier testing" is used for testing people who are known to be at increased risk of being carriers of a specific inherited disorder, usually because a relative is known to be a carrier or has the condition.
Carrier testing for family members is most likely to be offered and co-ordinated by staff in a regional clinical genetics centre who are looking after the family.
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