Premarital examination in Egypt: A positive step forward

 A new health initiative has begun in Egypt to conduct medical examinations for those who are about to get married, to help reduce the risk of having unhealthy children.

The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population confirmed in a statement that the examination takes about an hour, and includes registering personal data, along with issuing advice.

“The examinations include 10 tests, including AIDS, virus C, and virus B, and they also include tests of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, hemoglobin level in the blood, blood type, and a compatibility analysis, and the analysis of Mediterranean anemia (thalassemia),” the ministry said.

Questions regarding the initiative flooded social media, with many fearing the marriage being prevented if the test results were positive.

Health Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar told Arab News: “The tests will be necessary before completing the marriage contract, with the aim of preventing the birth of children with genetic diseases, as they should be performed before the marriage official begins the marriage contract.

“The tests do not prevent the completion of the marriage contract, but rather they aim to educate those about to get married about their health and the extent to which one of them is infected with any diseases that may affect the newborns.