Genetic disorder forces confession
DEAR ABBY: Ten years ago, I had an affair with a married man that resulted in a pregnancy and then a miscarriage. Pathology testing revealed that the child had a rare genetic disorder. My husband’s genetic test indicated he was not a carrier. The revelation led to my admission of the affair and our divorce.
I didn’t tell the other man. I recently found out he is divorced and remarried to a younger woman. I do not want to reopen this shameful period of my life, but I feel morally obligated to let him know. Should I contact him and tell him he was the father of the child and that he is a carrier of this genetic abnormality? — TORN IN MISSISSIPPI
DEAR TORN: The kind thing to do would be to contact your former lover privately. Explain that you do not mean to intrude, but he needs to know something important.
Then inform him that it could save him and his wife a world of heartache if they have genetic testing done before planning to have a child, and why.