Robert Klitzman Publishes New Book on Genetic Testing

Robert Klitzman, MD, will speak at the New York Academy of Medicine on February 28 as part of the release of his new book, "Am I My Genes? Confronting Fate and Family Secrets in the Age of Genetic Testing." The presentation will be at 1216 Fifth Avenue and starts at 6 p.m. The NYAM website says of the topic:

Genetics is rapidly enhancing our understanding and treatment of disease, but presents ever new dilemmas for physicians and patients. Countless people wrestle with fear and apprehension about whether to get tested, and if so, what they should do with the information. In his new book, psychiatrist Robert Klitzman explores how individuals confront these complex issues in their daily lives. He has interviewed a wide range of people who are at risk for various genetic diseases, and grapple with whether to get tested; to whom to disclose their genetic risks (spouses, parents, employers, physicians); what treatments to pursue; whether to have children, knowing that genetic diseases may be inherited; and to what degree and how our genes may shape our destiny. These difficult ethical and sometimes metaphysical questions are also embedded in intricate social contexts--the family, the clinic, and the world at large. Klitzman's gripping presentation of the human face of these new tests is important and compelling. These patients--and often their doctors--are pioneers in whose paths most of us will eventually follow.

Bob will also be speaking on the topic on Sunday, March 4 at the Guggenheim Museum.