First things first, let us appreciate the utter awkwardness of asking the person you are madly in love with to go for a health check-up before you settle down with them.
Premarital medical check ups
If you have truly been in love, you will agree that this is not as easy as it sounds mostly because to a person in love, it may feel like they are admitting that they are looking for imperfection in their loved one so they can find an excuse to exit the relationship.
It is uncomfortable territory, yet disease is ten times more uncomfortable.
Before you get preoccupied with your wedding planning and spending a fortune on your wedding attire, food and décor, isn’t it wise to take care of your long-term health and the health of your future family first?
There are many inherited diseases which can be passed from parents to children through genes. So, if you’re about to get married, make sure you and your partner get these simple tests done before tying the knot to prevent the risk of transmitting any disease to each other and your children.
Pre-marriage medical test
A premarital checkup helps the couple identify conditions which are genetic, transmissible and infectious. Marriage is the biggest event in the lives of a couple, hence they should make sure they take care of their health too along with other factors.
Getting a health checkup done is better than matching horoscopes. A premarital checkup helps the couple enter into marriage with a clean slate health-wise. Watoto Church used to insist that a couple test for HIV before they tied a knot (they probably still do) but medical tests should go beyond just HIV.
What should the couple get checked for?
Sexually transmitted diseases:
HIV, hepatitis B and C are lifelong conditions that, if not managed properly can gravely affect married life. Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Herpes should also be tested for.
Inherited diseases:
Bloodborne diseases like Haemophilia, Thalassemia, Marfan syndrome, Huntington s disease and sickle cell have high chances of being passed on to the progeny, hence they should be tested for.
Fertility:
This is important because fertility issues can be addressed as early as possible without the unnecessary biological, psychological, social and emotional trauma associated with infertility.
Psychological conditions:
It is important to check for conditions like schizophrenia, depression, mood disorders, mania and others through behavioural and personality disorders. Even conditions like obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorders, anger management issues, bipolar disorder should be checked for.
It is a good idea to consult a psychiatrist or a psychologist to deal with mental health problems that you or partner has so you are better equipped for the future.
Genotype
Knowing one’s hemoglobin genotype before choosing a life partner is important because there may be compatibility issues which could have devastating effects when it comes to conception.
As you can see, it is totally wise to have a premarital medical check-up. Yes, love is blind, but only if you see it as so.
