Why is a premarital health checkup necessary?

For a couple’s life, marriage is the ultimate goal, but having a perfect family is considered a shared responsibility. To prevent genetic diseases, it is important to check each other’s physical readiness and health before conception.

What should be checked in a premarital health examination?

1. General health check-up by a doctor such as measuring weight, height, blood pressure, checking respiratory system function, heart rate, and blood group.
2. Hepatitis B virus test (HBs AG) This virus attacks liver cells and if untreated, can cause fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. It is transmitted through blood, semen, lubricants, various body secretions, and from mother to child.
3. HIV virus test (HIV) It is well known that this virus destroys the immune system, making it unable to fight diseases entering the body. HIV testing is one of the first tests everyone should take because the main transmission routes are sexual contact, blood contact, and mother-to-child transmission.
4. Thalassemia genetic screening for both father and mother This disease causes abnormalities in red blood cells, anemia, or complications such as preeclampsia, jaundice in newborns, enlarged liver and spleen, and abnormal facial features. If you plan to have children, you should get tested to assess the risk because the fetus may die in the womb.
5. G-6-PD enzyme deficiency Enzyme deficiency causes red blood cells to break down, leading to anemia and jaundice. This genetic disease can be passed on even if the parents do not have it, but the child may develop jaundice. This condition is not a physical abnormality or a serious disease, but parents should pay attention and avoid foods or medications that cause acute hemolysis, which can lead to kidney failure.
6. Immunity test for German measles (Rubella) This disease is caused by a virus. Patients may have fever, arthritis, swollen lymph nodes, and rash. It can be transmitted to the child and spouse. Most cases resolve without complications, but if it occurs in a pregnant mother, the baby may be born with defects or, in severe cases, die in the womb. If you plan to have children, you should get vaccinated against German measles.
7. Syphilis This is a sexually transmitted disease mostly found in men, but if it occurs in women, it can be transmitted to the child. The child may show mild symptoms 3-8 weeks after birth. If left untreated and progresses to stage 4, it may cause visible disabilities.

Besides general health checks, to prepare both women and men, additional in-depth screening should be done for safety and to reduce the risk of serious diseases in the future.

In-depth health screening for women

• Internal examination to check the condition of the uterus and ovaries, pelvic examination which directly affects pregnancy and childbirth, as well as screening for uterine fibroids, chocolate cysts, and cervical cancer.
• Breast cancer screening because women who have never been pregnant or who have their first child at age 30 or older have a higher risk of breast cancer.

In-depth health screening for men

• Check sperm quality, a common problem such as low sperm count, weak sperm, or semen deterioration, which prevents fertilization of the egg.
• Prostate cancer, abnormalities can result in low male hormone levels.
• Erectile dysfunction, which can occur at any age but is mostly found in older men. Causes include psychological conditions, long-term smoking, fatigue, and aging.

Premarital health screening is not a sign of distrust in the relationship, but it is no different from an annual health check-up. It is a preparation for having a perfect family.