Pre-Marital Medical Check Up

(Fayaz Pasha, Karachi)

Premarital Medical Check Up

Have you ever been diagnosed with, or had to take treatment for, Tuberculosis (TB)?
Have you ever been admitted to hospital and/or received medical treatment for an extended period for any reason (including for a major operation or treatment of a psychiatric illness)?
Do you suffer, or have you ever suffered, from mental health problems?
Have you ever been told you are HIV positive?
Please list any prescribed pills or medication (excluding oral contraceptives, over-the-counter medication and natural supplements) you are taking
Have you ever been in close contact at work or at home with a person known to have Tuberculosis (TB)?
Do you have, or have you ever had, hepatitis, problems with your liver or yellowing of the skin?
Do you have, or have you had, cancer in the last 5 years?
Do you have high blood sugar/diabetes?
Do you have heart problems, including high blood pressure or a heart condition that you were born with?
Do you have a blood condition?
Do you have bladder or kidney problems?
Do you have a physical or intellectual disability that make it difficult for you to function (for example, to move around or learn) or work full-time?
Do you need to take drugs or drink alcohol regularly?
Physical examination — to be completed by the examining physician
Height and weight Centimeters Kilograms
Cardiovascular system
Skin disease
Eyes (including fundoscopy) Normal Abnormal
Best distance visual acuity (with or without correction) Right Left
Urine Analysis ( blood, protein, glucose)
Blood pressure (Systolic, Diastolic)
Respiratory system (Please enclose old chest x-ray films.)
Nervous system: Sequelae of stroke Normal Abnormal or cerebral palsy, other neurological disabilities
Mental and cognitive status Normal Abnormal
Intellectual ability Normal Abnormal
Gastrointestinal system Normal Abnormal
Musculosketal system Normal Abnormal
Endocrine system Normal Abnormal
Ear/nose/throat/mouth Normal Abnormal Hearing
Syphilis Test (VDRL or RPR) Negative Positive
Human Immunodeficiency Negative Positive Virus test (HIV)
Hepatitis B surface antigen blood test
Hepatitis C antibody blood test
Evidence of drug taking Absent Present (example: venous puncture marks)

The above is a list of questions from a visa application. If the above questions are asked or some of the above medical tests are suggested to couples who are planning to get married or if parents are asked to have their children undergo the above medical tests before marriage, the person suggesting it would be thoroughly ridiculed. If such a suggestion is made even after the engagement, the marriage proposal will be called off.

If the same children have applied for higher studies or are getting employment opportunity abroad, parents and their children will do their best in order to obtain the Medical Certificate for processing the VISA. However undergoing medical tests before marriage is considered as a joke or too insignificant. After undergoing all of the above medical tests, if the applicant should decide not to go abroad it wouldn’t matter much. But avoiding medical tests before marriage can sometimes be fatal.

Marriage is a significant event that allows two partners to build social, emotional, psychological and healthy relationship and establish a sound family comprising of healthy and happy children. Negligence and reluctance to undergo the medical tests can lead to many health problems. If one of the two partners are carriers of any genetic, infectious or blood transmitted diseases, the marital journey would be marred with mental, psychological and financial stress. Premarital medical checkup must also be encouraged among blood-related spouses to avoid the risk for hereditary diseases.

Premarital screening would benefit both on a national and communal level and limit the spread of aforesaid genetic and infectious diseases, reduce financial burdens and promote healthy marriages. Premarital HIV Testing is mandatory in about 18 countries. A few countries including India have proposed law mandating premarital HIV testing and few countries have voluntarily opted for HIV testing.

Premarital Medical Check Up can be done at least six months before the wedding that includes some of the following tests:

Blood test routine and hemoglobin analysis to check if there are any blood abnormalities, for an example, Thalassemia trait.
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) is conducted to know about the inflammation process.
Blood type and Rhesus factor test, to know the possibility of baby’s blood type. The blood type and rhesus test are useful for the fetus.
Complete Urine Test, to monitor kidney function and other disease that is related to kidney or urinary tract.
Blood sugar test is conducted to monitor the possibility of diabetes mellitus.
HBSAG test is conducted to know the possibility of Hepatitis B.
VDLR/RPR test is conducted to know the possibility of syphilis disease.
TORCH test is conducted to detect the infection caused by Toxoplasma parasite, Rubella virus, Cytomegalo virus (CMV), Herpes virus which can cause defects on fetus and premature babies.
medical tests

Do you think that Premarital medical check up should be made mandatory without which a marriage certificate will not be issued or marriages will not be conducted?

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Fayaz Pasha
About the Author: Fayaz Pasha Read More Articles by Fayaz Pasha: 2 Articles with 2457 views Fayaz Pasha is from Bangalore, India. He is an Author a certified Life Coach and an NLP Practitioner. He loves poetry and believes that God has blesse.. View More