Test Before Marriage

Marriage is a very important milestone in our life. It is a commitment of two people, who decide to start the journey of their life together. Wedding preparation in our country began months ago. We prepare for the guest list, venue, attires, makeup, hair, decorations and even plan for honeymoon destination as well. But most of us overlook a very important thing, which should also be a part of wedding preparation. Here we are talking about the medical test before marriage. Before finalizing a wedding, we enquire almost everything about the bride/groom, starting from their educational background, career, social status, character, all about their relatives, in fact, their salary as well. But wepay the least attention to their health status. Test before marriage is a great way to find out the health status of the two people who have decided to get married.

Test before marriage is basically a health assessment of couples who are soon to be tying the knots. This test is highly beneficial to provide information about their current health status and also can highlight any potential health problems such as any transmissible disease or any infectious diseases. Test before marriage gives a clear idea about any diseases that can pose a risk to the partners and their children when they are ready to start a family. This medical checkup also highlights any genetic disorder in any ofthe partners and provide the best chance to take necessary precautions and if required, proceed with the right treatment options.

Test before marriage helps to get checked for sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, etc, inherited diseases such as Thalassemia, Haemophilia, etc. This checkup also highlights any problems with fertility as well. Below we have discussed some of the important tests which are included in the test before marriage panel –

Infectious Disease Profile Test – Infectious diseases are caused by bacteria, fungus, different types of virus or parasites. Test before marriage is useful to detect infectious diseases successfully. Infectious disease profile has three test parameters – HIV ELISA, Anti Hepatitis C Virus, Hepatitis B Surface Antigen. HIV is a disease caused by a virus that attacks the immune system and can spread through sexual contact. Also, it can be spread by breast milk. Hence, not only between the partners, but it can also transmit from mother to child during pregnancy. HIV ELISA stands for HIV enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This is the most common HIV test, where a patient’s blood sample is tested to detect HIV infection. Hepatitis B and Anti Hepatitis C tests are conducted to detect the presence of these diseases in the body.

Beta-Thalassemia Screening – This is another set of tests, which is conducted as part of the test before marriage. This profile includes five test parameters – Hemoglobin A2, Hemoglobin C, Hemoglobin D, Hemoglobin F and Hemoglobin S. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disease, which can be passed from parents to children. Alpha or Beta Thalassemia refers to the part of haemoglobin that is not being made. Either the alpha or beta part is not made, which affects the preparation of normal haemoglobin. When the alpha part is not made, it is called alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia is when the beta part is not made. One of the best ways to diagnose thalassemia is by Hemoglobinopathesis Evaluation. This test measures the type and amounts of haemoglobin present in the red blood cells. A higher amount of haemoglobin A2 and F is usually seen in patients with beta-thalassemia.

Diabetic Screening – Diabetic screening is used to measure the level of blood sugar in the body. It helps to detect if an individual has type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. This test profile includes two test parameters – HbA1c and Average Blood Glucose Test.

Iron Deficiency Profile – This set of tests is used to detect iron deficiency in the body. There are three test parameters in it – Serum Iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity, % Transferrin Saturation. Iron is a very important mineral for our body and deficiency of iron can cause anaemia. This test helps to find out iron deficiency as well as iron overload in the body. Serum Iron test determines the level of iron in liquid form. Total Iron Binding Capacity test detects the amount of iron bound by the proteins in the blood. The Transferrin Saturation test measures the amount of transferrin in the body. High levels of transferring indicate anaemia caused by iron deficiency.

Vitamin B12 Test – Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin for the proper functioning of our body. This test measures the levels of vitamin B12 in the body.

Serum Ferritin Test – Ferritin helps to store iron in the body and releases iron as well when the body requires. The higher level of ferritin indicates more amount of iron stored in the body.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test – This is a very important test before marriage. TSH test helps to detect whether the thyroid gland is functioning properly or not. TSH or thyroid-stimulating hormone is produced in the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is responsible for some of the major bodily functions. If the gland produces a very low amount of TSH, the condition is called hypothyroidism. When the thyroid gland produces too much TSH, it is called hyperthyroidism. Both these conditions indicate that the thyroid gland is not working as it should be, which can further lead to many physical problems, including problems with pregnancy and fertility.

Complete Hemogram – Complete Hemogram test helps to evaluate our overall health condition. It can calculate many important components of our body, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, haemoglobin, etc. This profile consists of 24 test parameters and the reports help to detect a wide range of diseases including anaemia and leukaemia.

India’s one of the most advanced diagnostic laboratories, Thyrocare Technologies Limited offer an attractive package of the test before marriage. Known as Premarital Profile, it consists of total 40 tests, which help to detect diseases such as thalassemia, HIV, hepatitis infections, etc. which can affect married life, if not treated on time. The package is available at a very affordable price.

Why get Test Before Marriage

Test before marriage is an important step for the couples who want to get married to identify the presence of any genetic disorder or infectious diseases as well as transmissible diseases in their body. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, hence it is important that it should be a healthy commitment as well. Test before marriage helps the couples to take care of their health and find out about any hidden health conditions, which can affect their married life as well as can negatively impact their plan to have a baby.

Test before marriage helps to detect certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, some types of cancers, hepatitis, HIV, etc. It is very important for couples to know about their health status regarding these diseases. If a spouse is suffering from any chronic illness, he/she needs to be taken care of round the clock. Hence, it is important for the other spouse to know about this beforehand for taking important decisions regarding the marriage. With marriage, comes sex and sex can potentially transmit certain infections from one spouse to another. One of the most common examples of sexually transmitted disease is HIV. Test before marriage helps to detect such sexually transmitted diseases and enable the couple to make an informed choice.

Test before marriage profile contains certain tests that help to get a clear vision on whether or not the woman will have any fertility issue. This further helps to take the necessary steps to avoid any issues regarding pregnancy. Test before marriage also helps to stop the transmission of certain diseases, like hepatitis and thalassemia from the parents to the children, by taking necessary precautions.

The risk of diseases, like diabetes, can also be anticipated through the test. Diabetes can lead to miscarriage and birth defects. With the help of a test before marriage, the mother can opt for proper treatment options, as well as change her lifestyle habits to live a healthy life and avoid pregnancy issues. It is very important to live a peaceful life, and peace of mind is largely dependent on our health condition. A thorough checkup before marriage helps to know about the health status of each of the partners and enable them to avoid certain complexities after marriage by starting timely treatment. The result of these tests before marriage also helps the couple to identify certain lifestyle habits, which they may require to change in order to have a healthy marriage.

When to get Test Before Marriage

Test before marriage is recommended for every couple who are about to get married. Experts say the best time to get the checkup done is about 3 months before the marriage.

Preparation for Test Before Marriage

Test before marriage profile consists of a variety of tests. For some, fasting may be required and you will be allowed to drink water only and no other fluid intake is permissible. The best way is to consult a doctor, who will be able to guide you as to what are the things you need to do before undergoing test before marriage.

In our society, marriage is finalized after matching of the horoscopes of both the would-be bride and groom. We give so much importance on the positions of sun, moon, planets and other astrological aspects, but do not care much about the health status of the couples. For a happy and successful marriage, the physical and mental health of both the partners is vital, and that’s why test before marriage should be a part of any wedding preparation. When we become aware of the health conditions and potential health risks of our partners much before marriage, it allows us to take important steps and help us build a healthy, stable and happy family.