General health checkups and genetic counselling
Doctors would often start with a general health checkup, which would include screening for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesteremia, and other common health issues. Then, doctors would often use a detailed blood test, including a full blood count. Even knowing the blood group and understanding things like rhesus factor status is essential for couples.
Tests would also help find some rare disorders like thalassemia.
Genetic counselling must be a part of prenuptial screening. Doctors would generally take a detailed family history of couples. Here it is vital to understand that doctors would not essentially go for extensive genetic testing. Quite often, understanding the family history may be enough. For example, doctors may learn to ask about other family members and the presence of diseases like asthma, heart disease, cancers, and more.
Additionally, doctors might pay particular attention to the mental health status of the couples. Such screening may help identify commonly found mood disorders and may also help diagnose personality disorders. Understanding mental health issues may help prepare couples better for their future together.
Prenuptial STD Testing & Screening
Generally, screening for sexually transmitted diseases is considered an essential part of prenuptial screening. In addition, doctors would often test for conditions like gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydial infection, and more.
It is highly recommended that any prenuptial screening include testing for viral infections like HIV, hepatitis B & C, HPV, and other infections. It is especially important considering that some of these infections are highly challenging to manage and could be transmitted to your partner or future children.
To summarise, prenuptial screening is a good idea as it may help prevent certain unpleasant surprises after marriage. It may also show if couples are complementary to each other or not. However, it is not just about sexually transmitted diseases. It is perhaps more about understanding the risk of genetic diseases and various health issues that people may be living with.
