When it comes to marriages, things people usually focus on include compatibility, education, social and financial background, and physical attributes. While these may be necessary, an important aspect that is often not addressed is biological compatibility.
However, with increased awareness, many couples are now willingly opting for various medical tests. These ensure that their future, especially in terms of their children, could be more secure. If you want to avoid complications later on in your married life, here are five medical tests that you need to take before marriage.
Rh factor - A type of protein, Rh factor can be either present (+) or absent (-) for all blood groups A, B, AB and O. Compatibility issue will arise only when the couple plan to have children. When the mother is Rh- and baby is Rh+, it can create complications. Usually, mother and baby's blood do not come into contact during pregnancy. However, it can happen during delivery.
Although there will be no impact on first pregnancy, there could be complications during subsequent pregnancies. If Rh incompatibility is found in blood tests, the doctor may prescribe Rh immune globulin (RhoGAM) therapy. This will prevent any complications arising from Rh incompatibility.
HIV and STD - Often, having such tests tends to create trust issues between couples. However, both individuals need to understand that such tests can secure their future. These tests are necessary, as sometimes the affected individual may not even be aware of the infection. In early stages, there may not be any major symptoms of these diseases.
Fertility test - If both couples plan to have babies, they can volunteer for fertility test before marriage. In case of men, the primary test will examine quality of sperms and functioning of reproductive system. In case of females, a number of things may need to be assessed such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) test, hysterosalpingogram (HSG), transvaginal ultrasound, and hysteroscopy. It is not necessary that you will have to take all these tests.
Thalassemia Test - A blood-related disorder, Thalassemia occurs due to errors in genetic coding. A blood test before marriage can reveal if the couples are carriers of thalassemia or not. If they are carriers, there's increased risk that their child could have thalassemia. As there is no cure for this abnormality, it becomes all the more important for couples to have this test before marriage. If couples still want to go ahead, they can undertake amniocentesis test in first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This will reveal if the child has defects or not.
Genetic history - It is also good to discuss genetic history of each other's families. Things like cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, etc. may run in families across generations. Discussing family history will help take the right preventive action by consulting a doctor.
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