Previving: How Unaffected Women with a Mutation Navigate Previvor Identity.

Receiving a positive result for a / () mutation - indicating a high lifetime risk to develop hereditary breast and ovarian cancer - can significantly alter a woman's identity. positive women who have not been diagnosed with cancer may be labeled "previvors," which distinguishes those at-risk for developing cancer, but have not had cancer. Using semi-structured interviews ( = 25), this study explored how unaffected -positive women navigate the previvor identity. Women in this sample differed on their definitions of previvor, views of acceptance, rejection, or ambivalence toward the label, and identification as a previvor. Understanding how women interpret and embrace the previvor identity may help inform communication for those with genetic mutations, but whom have not been diagnosed with cancer.