The preparations for a couple’s wedding day involve the attire, gifts, decorations, invitations, venue, looks, photographs, honeymoon and much more. In Indian weddings especially, a lot
of money is spent on the functions that last for 3-4 days. A huge importance is given to the things that please others. Moreover, it’s a period of immense excitement and yearning for the couple. Finding the love of one’s life and committing a lifetime to that individual brings a lot of emotional upheavals. The bride and groom spend a considerable amount and time on selecting their dress, décor and F&B menu for all the ceremonies, getting their pre-wedding photoshoot done, and deciding the honeymoon locale. However, there is one important thing that's always ignored: a premarital health checkup of the couple.

The wedding may last for few days, but a marriage lasts forever. A premarital checkup helps the couple identify any conditions such as genetic, transmissible and infectious diseases. A marriage is the biggest event in the lives of a couple, hence they should make sure they take care of their health too along with other factors. A good premarital testing program informs couples and provides unbiased health evidence. Family history, genetics, age, diet and addictions, all contribute to creating a map for the future.For couples considering marriage, pre-marital screening helps detectdormantillnesses and risks for their progeny. It also aids them to understand their heredities and take essential precautions or treatments.

Getting a health checkup done instead of matching horoscopes to fix a marriage should be the new culture considering the health-stats of the country. A premarital checkup helps
couple in taking care of each other, and their combined family.

Although, everyone should undergo a preventive health checkup once every year, a premarital checkup can be doneabout six months before the wedding.

What should the couple get checked for?

1. Sexually transmitted diseases: HIV, hepatitis B and C are lifelong conditions that, if not managed properly can gravely affect married life. Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Herpes should also be tested for.
2. Inherited diseases: Blood borne diseases like Haemophilia, Thalassemia, Marfan syndrome, Huntington’s disease and sickle cell have high chances of being passed on to the progeny, hence they should be tested for.
3. Fertility: This is important because fertility issues can be addressed as early as possible without the unnecessary biological, psychological, social and emotional trauma associated with barrenness.

Amol Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist, Indus Health Plus