This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
As the festive season approaches, many couples are planning to get married. While pre-marital counseling and pre-nuptial agreements are common, pre-marital health screening is often overlooked. However, this should not be the case.
Pre-marital health screening is crucial for intending couples to know their health status before getting married. This includes screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and HIV. Hepatitis B and C should also be tested for. If either partner is found to be infected, treatment options and precautions can be taken to prevent transmission to the uninfected partner.
Screening for STIs is a bare minimum health check that intending couples should undergo. It is also essential to test for apparent hereditary conditions and potential fertility-related issues. This can include testing for sickle cell disease, a genetically inherited condition affecting blood cells, which is prevalent in Kenya.
Pre-marital health screening should not be routine, but rather a necessary step to ensure that intending couples are aware of their health status. It is essential to draw a line on the bare minimum and practical screening tests, and then proceed with the marriage. Vigilance is also necessary after getting the all-clear, as it is easy to fall prey to avoidable ailments soon after the honeymoon is over.
Dr. Alfred Murage, a consultant gynaecologist and fertility specialist, emphasizes the importance of pre-marital health screening. He advises intending couples to get their tests done together or separately, but to agree ahead of time to share their results with each other.
