Overview:
Marriage is the fundamental building block of society, and the cornerstone in building emotional, healthy and family relationships. The healthy marriage guarantees preventing the family members from the hereditary and infectious diseases; thus building a happy and stable family.
Healthy Marriage:
Healthy marriage is defined as state of agreement and harmony between the marriage partners with regard to the healthy, psychological, sexual, social, and legislative aspects, aiming at making a sound family and begetting healthy children.
Premarital Screening:
Premarital screening is defined as testing couples who are planning to get married soon for common genetic blood disorders (e.g. sickle cell anemia and thalassemia and sickle cell anemia) and infectious diseases (e.g. hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS). The premarital screening aims to give medical consultation on the odds of transmitting the abovementioned diseases to the other partner/spouse or children and to provide partners/spouses with options that help them plan for healthy family.
Objectives of Premarital Screening Program:
- Limiting the spread of some genetic blood diseases (e.g. sickle-cell anemia and thalassemia) and infectious diseases (e.g. hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS).
- Promoting awareness about the concept of the comprehensive healthy marriage.
- Reducing pressure over health institutions and blood banks.
- Avoiding the social and psychological problems for families whose children suffer.
- Reducing the family and community’s financial burdens of treating the injured persons.
Hence, those couple, who are planning to get married soon, are advised to conduct the premarital screening at least three months before the marriage date; so that the couple can plan their lives better, as the premarital compatibility certificates is valid for only six months. The screening for infectious diseases can also be reconducted when needed.
Pre-marital Screening Program Services:
Pre-marital Screening services (whether laboratory tests or medical consultations sessions) are provided to all citizens in more than (300) centers in various regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All couples planning to get married can take prior appointment, whether individually or they come together.
If one of the couple is outside the Kingdom, the following steps must be followed:
- Ensuring that all laboratory results are performed for the diseases included in the program (thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, hepatitis B/C, and HIV).
- Clarifying all personal information of the couples planning to get married.
- Authentication of results by the Saudi Embassy.
- Submitting the certified screening (an electronic copy in PDF format) by his family to the marriage screening center to issue the marriage examination certificate.