The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Guilt, blame and responsibility: men's understanding of their role in the transmission of BRCA1/2 mutations within their family

Guilt, blame and responsibility: men's understanding of their role in the transmission of BRCA1/2 mutations within their family
Guilt, blame and responsibility: men's understanding of their role in the transmission of BRCA1/2 mutations within their family
Men and women who have a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer may be offered a predictive genetic test to determine whether or not they carry the family specific BRCA1/2 mutation. The sons and daughters of mutation carriers have a 50 per cent chance of inheriting a mutation, which will increase their risk of developing cancer. Little is known about at-risk men's feelings about the part they play in the transmission of BRCA1/2 mutations within their families. This study investigated high risk men's responses to BRCA1/2 predictive genetic testing. Seventeen in-depth interviews were undertaken with carrier (n= 5) and non-carrier men (n= 12). All men described genetic testing as a familial duty. It is observed that carriers and non-carriers mobilised differing explanations about their role in the aetiology of risk. It is noted that men engage in a form of narrative reconstruction in which they draw upon discourses of guilt and blame or fate and predestiny in an effort to present themselves as morally responsible or blameless. It is argued that narrative reconstruction enables these men to reconcile their genetic identity, self and family.
men, genetic testing, breast cancer, responsibility, narrative reconstruction
0141-9889
969-988
Hallowell, Nina
671cbd1f-fb44-40bc-86eb-be2b1d4d73ed
Ardern-Jones, Audrey
312b76d6-ceac-49a7-b3ef-1b04688686f3
Eeles, Ros
1101f5dc-f8ae-4102-99fb-f814695e5f9c
Foster, Claire L.
00786ac1-bd47-4aeb-a0e2-40e058695b73
Lucassen, Anneke
3f282fe4-b839-443c-8c81-6b8a507153c7
Moynihan, Clare
5830406c-b68c-4ec6-ac83-833c2af9b095
Watson, Maggie
23d88121-d418-4c4e-857f-505c34f8c975
Hallowell, Nina
671cbd1f-fb44-40bc-86eb-be2b1d4d73ed
Ardern-Jones, Audrey
312b76d6-ceac-49a7-b3ef-1b04688686f3
Eeles, Ros
1101f5dc-f8ae-4102-99fb-f814695e5f9c
Foster, Claire L.
00786ac1-bd47-4aeb-a0e2-40e058695b73
Lucassen, Anneke
3f282fe4-b839-443c-8c81-6b8a507153c7
Moynihan, Clare
5830406c-b68c-4ec6-ac83-833c2af9b095
Watson, Maggie
23d88121-d418-4c4e-857f-505c34f8c975

Hallowell, Nina, Ardern-Jones, Audrey, Eeles, Ros, Foster, Claire L., Lucassen, Anneke, Moynihan, Clare and Watson, Maggie (2006) Guilt, blame and responsibility: men's understanding of their role in the transmission of BRCA1/2 mutations within their family. Sociology of Health and Illness, 28 (7), 969-988. (doi:10.1111/j.1467-9566.2006.00515.x). (PMID:17163862)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Men and women who have a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer may be offered a predictive genetic test to determine whether or not they carry the family specific BRCA1/2 mutation. The sons and daughters of mutation carriers have a 50 per cent chance of inheriting a mutation, which will increase their risk of developing cancer. Little is known about at-risk men's feelings about the part they play in the transmission of BRCA1/2 mutations within their families. This study investigated high risk men's responses to BRCA1/2 predictive genetic testing. Seventeen in-depth interviews were undertaken with carrier (n= 5) and non-carrier men (n= 12). All men described genetic testing as a familial duty. It is observed that carriers and non-carriers mobilised differing explanations about their role in the aetiology of risk. It is noted that men engage in a form of narrative reconstruction in which they draw upon discourses of guilt and blame or fate and predestiny in an effort to present themselves as morally responsible or blameless. It is argued that narrative reconstruction enables these men to reconcile their genetic identity, self and family.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: November 2006
Keywords: men, genetic testing, breast cancer, responsibility, narrative reconstruction
Organisations: Faculty of Health Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 63987
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/63987
ISSN: 0141-9889
PURE UUID: 71a84612-46ee-45c0-a4eb-d2b0a8511b18
ORCID for Claire L. Foster: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4703-8378

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 21 Nov 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:41

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Nina Hallowell
Author: Audrey Ardern-Jones
Author: Ros Eeles
Author: Anneke Lucassen
Author: Clare Moynihan
Author: Maggie Watson

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×