Medical tests that every couple should take before marriage: You’ve found who you want to spend the rest of your life with, congratulations.

However, there are some medical tests that you and your partner should take before saying “Yes, I do.”

The goal of a pre-wedding check-up is to ensure that couples are aware of their health status, make informed decisions and avoid avoidable stress and burden during the marriage, and prepare appropriately for future implications.

Medical tests that every couple should take before marriage

These are some of the tests that a potential partner should perform:

1. Genotype test

This test is one of the most important on this list. In fact, some churches now make it mandatory for potential partners to be genotyped. This test will tell if one or both partners are sickle cell (SS), carriers of sickle cell trait (AS), or if their genotype is normal (AA).

You may not be a sick person, but you are a carrier of the trait (AS), and you only need another partner who has the AS trait to give birth to children who are sick.

The pain that comes with being sick or having a sick child is too serious for any couple to ignore.

2. Fertility test

This is a test that is done to determine the fertility of a couple. Most of the time, a couple does not realize they have fertility problems until about 2 years or more after marriage and unsuccessful attempts to conceive.

The test profiles reproductive hormones in both couples, while the semen analysis is tested in the man and ovulation in the woman. Except that a couple is unwilling to have children before or after marriage, this is an important test that must be done.

3. HIV / STD testing

It is extremely important that all couples contemplating marriage know their HIV status before walking down the aisle, as HIV is transmitted primarily through sex.

You and your partner should also be tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as hepatitis B and C, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, etc.

This would help you take the correct steps your doctor tells you and also reduce the risk of infertility and miscarriages.

4. Blood group and Rhesus factor test

It is important to determine the blood group of a potential spouse to avoid problems related to blood group or rhesus incompatibility. Your blood group can be A, B, O, or AB, but there is another component called Rhesus factor.

The Rhesus factor is positive or negative. If a Rhesus negative woman marries a Rhesus Positive husband, there is a 50% chance that the baby will be Rhesus positive. In this case, if precautions are not taken during pregnancy, this could lead to hemolytic disease of the newborn.

Knowing both blood groups will help your doctor prevent Rhesus incompatibility problems during pregnancy.

5. Chronic medical conditions

Having a chronic illness is not the end of the world. Knowing will only help both of you to be better prepared to take care of each other.

Early testing for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, kidney disease, mental problems, etc., will allow couples to seek medical assistance early enough and also make necessary lifestyle changes.

When it comes to your health, it’s always good to know, as it steers you toward making healthy life choices.