In the past, it was a practice of getting the horoscopes matched. The new generation couples go a step little ahead looking for more practical means of ensuring a long and fulfilling life together. This is called as pre-marital health check-ups or couple check-ups. It includes a number of tests which screens the general health and hereditary diseases.

This is becoming more common these days. Earlier, women used to come along with their mother or aunt but these days they come with the men they are going to get married to. Understanding your partner in every aspect is very important in leading a happy married life. Be it love or arranged marriages, the couple gets talking, get to know more about each other and are honest about their issues.

Pre-marital health check-ups are very important as the couple get to know more about each other and bring more intimacy into their relationship. Just a blood test will not provide all the underlying issues. One has to go in for a physical examination which will rectify certain problems that can have a huge impact in the future. For example, if a person has diabetes it is better to avoid marrying someone with the same disorder because there are more chances that their kids being diabetic.

Blood tests screen for hereditary diseases like thalassemia & hemophilia but it is important to check blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

What is a couple check-up?

The couple check-up is a relationship questionnaire which consists of about 110-130 questions. It has to be answered within 30 minutes. Once you have with the answering, it will immediately provide a 16-20 page report. The report gives feedback about each of your views on your relationship.

What are the goals of couple check-up?

• The first and foremost goal of couple checkup is to celebrate the strengths of your relationship. You should know the areas where you are doing well and keep nurturing it in order to maintain a healthy relationship.
• Another goal is to know your You should know the areas where you disagree upon and should try to resolve them.
• Another goal is to encourage talk and dialogue about your relationship. You can share your feelings and ideas which pave way for a healthy relationship.

A few hospitals and diagnostic centers will also have special packages for the check-up. Apart from the blood test and urine test it also consists of HIV screening, semen analysis, pelvic examination, screening the ovaries and uterus and a general gynecologist consultation for women. You can even contact the doctors on Free Doctor Helpline to know about the pre-marital check-up plans or our helpline number is +918010555444.

Some women may want to test if their ovaries and uterus are normal as they have irregular menstrual problems. Others may want to know if they are healthy enough to go ahead with pregnancy or if they don’t want to get conceive immediately they may seek for contraceptive advice.

Pre-marital health check-ups primarily consist of the following tests. They are:

• Blood group testing: It is a simple test yet it has many serious effects on the relationship. Knowing your partner’s blood group is very important. Blood group incompatibility can affect the baby in many ways. There are various blood groups categorized as A, B, O along with the Rh factor. The Rh incompatibility can also affect the baby. Knowing the partner’s blood group can help the doctor to take preventive measures to avoid Rh incompatibility.
• HIV & STD screening: It is important to check for HIV & STD before marriage. Diseases like hepatitis B & C and HIV will last forever if not detected early and can have serious complications on sexual life. Other STDs are syphilis, warts, bacterial vaginosis, gonorrhea, etc. These can be treated if diagnosed early. Knowing your partner’s health status will help you protect yourself.
• Test for fertility: It may not sound good, but it is necessary to take a fertility test so that you can be sure of if you can give birth in the future. It consists of semen analysis for male fertility and ovulation test for female fertility. A series of hormone tests such as prolactin, FSH, LH, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are meant for both men and women.
• Genetic testing for the sickle cell: The sickle cell disease is caused by a deficiency in red blood cells. It is a prolonged and unbearable health condition. The red blood cells are in shape of a sickle and this will affect their ability to pass through the blood vessels thereby reducing the oxygen supply to different parts of the body.
• Testing for genetic conditions: It is important to know the biological health of your partner. A knowledge of inherited and hereditary diseases will help you to be prepared to face anything in the future.

Getting a per-marital check-up is important, however not doing so before marriage doesn’t mean that you can’t do it later. The idea is to know the health status of your partner and to stay prepared for any complications that might shoot up in the future.