Hi,

You said that you may be a carrier of a muscular dystrophy. Do you know what type? (ie - duchenne, myotonic etc). Has genetic testing been done to identify the gene error (mutation) in the affected person in your family? Because if it has, then it may be simple for you to have the blood test done to find out if you are actually a carrier. If you haven't been to see a genetic counsellor to talk about these issues, I would recommend you do so!

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
This is a test that is used to look for errors or mutations within a single gene. This is most likely the test you would need to look for the gene mutation associated with whichever muscular dystrophy is in your family.

Translocation
A translocation is where 2 or more chromosomes in a person's cells have rearranged. This can involve either the chromosomes joining together or swapping pieces. Not usually a problem if the correct amount of genetic material is still present, however a person who has a translocation has an increased chance of having pregnancies with an abnormal amount of genetic material which can cause problems. This technique would not apply to you.

Aneuploidy Screening
Aneuploidy is where there is an incorrect number of chromosomes in the cells. This could be too many chromosomes or too few. An example of this is Down syndrome where there is an extra chromosome number 21. Aneuploidy screening can tell you the gender of the embryo. Anyone going through IVF can use PGD for aneuploidy screening so this is something you may also consider having done. Hopefully someone who knows more about IVF/PGD will be able to comment on whether multiple testing of embryos significantly impacts on their survival rate.

I hope that this is useful. Everyone - please feel free to correct me if any of this information is wrong!

Good luck, I hope that it all works out for you.