Medical tests for about to wed couple and counseling before marriage

For most people, the joy of finding true love and deciding to go into matrimony with a spouse usually knows no bound.

However, most people enter into this lifelong union without adequate knowledge of their partner’s health status and so become disappointed and frustrated with marriage because of medical conditions that could have been identified and tackled before this lifelong commitment.

The knowledge of your intending partner’s health status by no means implies that marriage is not possible but it gives you an avenue to make informed consent and it enables you and your spouse seek proper medical care early to prevent unnecessary stress and burden during marriage.

Every time the issue of medical tests is mentioned, intending couples get apprehensive and scared because they don’t want to discover crazy realities about their spouse-to-be.

The other reason is that people simply have skeletons they don’t want to let out, but isn’t that the idea of having these tests In the first place?

Marriage is a lifelong affair, and going into it without the facts can ruin the experience for one.

You must have a proper knowledge of what/who you’re settling for.

PRE-WEDDING COUNSELLING FOR ABOUT TO WED COUPLE

The M.A.L.I.K. System of Medical Premarital Counseling.
This is a 5-part process of premarital counseling and testing sessions. It is basic –and avoids extraneous, superfluous processes, tests, and questions. Here it is:

M = Medical Tests and Check-up

A = Assessment of Medical History

L = Lifestyle and Social History

I = Intimacy and Sexual History

K = Knowledge of (and attitude to) health, sex and nutrition issues

#1: Medical Tests and Check-up
Here, I divided them into 4 groups for clarity:

#1: COMMON ONES like
Genotype test [to prevent having a sickler] ; pregnancy test; Blood group test [if you are a lady, and you’re O-, A-, B-, or AB-, any of the negatives, call me after reading this!]

#2: SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES TESTS like HIV test, Hepatitis B virus test, and so on.

#3: “FERTILITY” TESTS. For the lady: hormonal test [LH, FSH, and Progesterone] and abdomino-pelvic scan; for the guy: hormonal test [testosterone] and semen analysis [for things like sperm count and so on]

#4: OTHERS: You could add tests like Blood glucose [to check for diabetes], Lipid profile [for blood fat], X-ray [to check the chest] and ECG [to check the heart]…the list, my brother, is endless!

#2: Assessment of Medical History
Here we will want to know any major health event or disease the person has or had . Also, to ask for family history of some inheritable diseases.

Any personal or family history of: Hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma or sickle cell disease, depression, suicide?

Any personal medical history of admissions, blood transfusions, surgeries, accidents?

Appropriate counseling and treatment might be commenced. A physical examination of the couple (including reproductive organs) may be required.

#3: Lifestyle and Social History
Use and addiction to Alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, codeine, diazepam, and so on. And assess the extent of damage and addiction to know if it could affect the marriage, fertility, or health in general. And counsel appropriately or commence recovery process as the case may be.

#4: Intimacy and Sexual History
Here we will open up and have a honest assessment of the past sexual history of both partners and make a conclusion of the implications – if fertility will be affected, if treatment is needed, or if transmission of infection is possible, if the health is in danger, and so on.

Virginity status (and extent of intimacy)? Multiple sexual partners? Ever diagnosed of any sexually transmitted disease (say, gonorrhea, Hepatitis, or HIV) before? Used.

contraceptives before to prevent pregnancy (and details of type and duration, etc.)? Pregnant before (and number of times)? Had abortions before (number of times and details of procedures)?

Use of pornography and sex toys; any bisexual or gay tendencies, and so on.

#5: Knowledge of (and attitude to) health, sex and nutrition issues
This section is wide –and the elaborateness will depend on how much the couple already know and practice. This is to ensure the couple come to terms and agree on some major aspect of life, health, and wellness.

Here, I assess how much the couple already know about health, sex and proper nutrition. I also assess their attitude.

Issues like hygiene, prevention of illness, family planning (and child spacing), sex tips, healthy nutrition, fitness tips, sex tips, lifestyle advice, and so on, are addressed and compared.

Allow couples to ask questions relating to health, weight, sex or nutrition.
Virgins are also given specific tips to make the first sex act less painful and less cumbersome!
(Reference Dr malik)

Importance of Pre-marital Screening:

Gauge the positive health status of prospective bride and groom.

Detect infectious diseases – Hepatitis B infection, HIV, HCV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Identify carriers of genetic disorders, in order to assess the risk of having children with a severe form of disease. The couple can then choose whether or not to have an affected child. e.g. Thalassemia, Haemophilia and Sickle Cell Disease.

Here are few tests all brides and groom-to-be should take before they get married.

HIV AND OTHER STIs TEST

There are health conditions that have no cure, including HIV and Hepatitis B and C. You need to know your partner’s status so you’re equipped with knowledge of how to protect yourself in case they turn to be positive, and you want to marry them regardless. There are treatable ones like syphilis and gonorrhea, but you have to know so as to know how to protect yourself and minimize risks in marriage.

BLOOD GROUP COMPATIBILITY TEST

Blood groups need to be compatible with each other to avoid problems during pregnancy like the Rhesus disease. It is a condition where antibodies in a pregnant woman’s blood destroy her baby’s blood cells.

Women with rhesus negative blood group married to rhesus positive husbands have a greater chance of rhesus incompatibility where the growing fetus takes after the father in blood group causing this problem, and leading to intrauterine death and miscarriages.

GENOTYPE COMPATIBILITY TEST

There are different genotypes, but not all of them are compatible. Marrying AS as and AS for instance can potentially be a problem when you have kids because it’s very likely you’ll make SS babies, which means they’ll suffer from Sickle Cell Anaemia. Doing this test will help you understand how to make the best decision for yourself.

FERTILITY TEST

Of course, you want to know whether or not the person you’re marrying can have children. If they can’t, knowing early is a big plus because that’s how to make arrangements for adopting, etc, so as to avoid the future complications associated with an inability to conceive.

GENETICS AND TERMINAL ILLNESS TEST

Early testing allows couples seek medical care before the medical conditions gets to its terminal stage. This test depends on the region and the common chronic/genetic condition seen in that society. However, this test should include screening for diabetes, test for hypertension, certain cancers kidney disease and test for thalassemia, amongst any others you feel need done.

TEST FOR SICKLE CELL GENE

Sickle cell disease is a chronic and debilitating medical condition caused by a defect in red blood cells. As the name implies, these cells are shaped as a ‘sickle’ and this affects their ability to pass through tiny blood vessels to supply oxygen to cells and tissue.

This accounts for most crises experienced by sickle cell patients. It is advisable for sickle cell patients (SS) not to marry a carrier of the sickle cell gene (AS) because of the 50% chance of having a baby with the disease in each pregnancy. However, a sickle cell patient (SS) can marry an individual with no trait of the disease (AA), as their offspring will only be carriers of the sickle cell genes.

PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST

You might be aware of your partner’s mental well being since you have spent time with them. However, things are not so easy in case of arranged marriages. One meeting cannot help judge a person’s mental well being; this is why this test is important. A simple psychometric test, which takes a day, will tell you about yours and your partner’s mental health.

Your psychologist will give you multiple choice questions, picture analysis etc. Mental illness diagnosed can be treated and tackled most of the time. It is, however, your decision to take up that kind of responsibility. Your treating psychologist will tell you about how to manage the person and the marriage.