Pre-marital health check-ups - Many obstacles remain.

(Baonghean)The Population Ordinance stipulates: "The State encourages and facilitates health checks for men and women before registering for marriage." While the benefits are numerous, many obstacles remain, causing young people to hesitate.

When Le Van Son (27 years old, Hamlet 3, Thanh Tuong) brought his girlfriend Thanh home to meet his family, he immediately faced opposition: "Looking at how thin and frail she is, how can she possibly have children? If you want to marry her, you should get a health checkup first. If you have any illnesses, get them treated before you get married." Knowing he couldn't change his family's mind, Son tried to persuade his girlfriend, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Thanh felt like she'd been hit with cold water on his pride and snapped: "What makes you and your family think you can make me go for a checkup? If I'm sick, you'll cancel the wedding? It turns out love isn't as important as a health certificate, is it? Go find someone else and get a complete health record..." After a long rant, Thanh stormed off, not giving Son a chance to explain.

Talking about pre-marital health checkups, Mr. Hoang and Ms. Lam (Block 4, Cua Nam Ward, Vinh City) are still in shock. Both being civil servants working in the healthcare field, they understand the importance of pre-marital health checkups. Therefore, about a month before their wedding, they agreed to have a comprehensive health checkup.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, just days before the wedding, Mr. Khang (Lam's father) angrily summoned Hoang to his house and berated him: "Do you think my daughter can't find anyone else? Don't rely on your status and look down on others. Are you afraid my daughter has a hereditary, incurable disease, that's why you made her go for a check-up? With such disrespect and distrust, we need to reconsider the wedding..." It turned out that the prospective father-in-law had seen his daughter's general health check-up results and asked his younger brother about them. The brother jokingly replied, "The other side said that if Lam wants to be their daughter-in-law, she needs a health certificate, so she went for a check-up to submit for approval..." After that, Hoang and Lam had to explain for a long time before the father-in-law finally understood and accepted.

There are also many cases where, when both families suggest a pre-marital health check-up, people feel embarrassed and deliberately try to avoid it. If forced to go for a check-up, they even try to buy the results.

In reality, pre-marital health checkups aim to detect genetic diseases, infectious diseases, and even infertility. Afterward, counseling is provided to help those seeking checkups prevent and treat potential risks of birth defects in men and women preparing for marriage. This helps couples enter married life confidently, with sufficient health to have a good sex life, and to have safe pregnancies and deliveries. However, this work is currently often neglected, and many men and women of marriageable age are not enthusiastic about it. Ms. Phuc Thi Hang, Deputy Director of the Center for Family Planning and Population Counseling and Services, stated: “Firstly, they believe their partner (male or female) is concerned about their reproductive capabilities. Secondly, they are complacent, thinking they cannot get sick. Thirdly, they believe that health checkups show a lack of trust and respect for each other.”

Media provides health counseling for adolescent students.
in Nghia Dan district.

Pre-marital reproductive health checkups still face many obstacles and have not received adequate attention, leading to unpredictable consequences. One of the leading risks is the discovery of genetic diseases after marriage; in many cases, fearing these diseases, couples quickly consider separating from their partners after only a few months of marriage. There are also cases where the wife or husband suffers significant trauma in their family life due to a genetic disease. Even more heartbreaking is that their children may be born with birth defects, mental illnesses, or HIV infection.

Recognizing the importance of pre-marital health check-ups, a pre-marital health program was implemented in Thanh Giang commune (Thanh Chuong district) starting in 2006. Benefiting from the program, pre-marital health clubs were established in five hamlets within the commune, providing residents, especially young people, with access to knowledge about reproductive health care and family planning, fostering a correct understanding of friendship, love, and sexual relationships, and teaching them how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

From a pilot implementation in one commune, the project has now benefited 45 communes in 9 districts with many practical activities such as: organizing training sessions, thematic talks, distributing documents and leaflets providing knowledge on reproductive health care; counseling and health check-ups for adolescents and young people. Simultaneously, the "Pre-marital counseling and health check-up" model has been implemented in disadvantaged communes, providing services such as examinations, ultrasounds, and free medication for adolescents and young people; the "Marriage certificate issuance combined with reproductive health counseling" model from project VNM7R207 has helped hundreds of couples; and health communication has been implemented in high schools...

In my opinion, to make pre-marital counseling and health check-ups more effective, it is necessary to legalize the main regulations regarding the counseling process and content; the needs and conditions of men and women receiving counseling; and the conditions and responsibilities of medical service facilities providing counseling and health check-ups. Besides the efforts of the population sector, the involvement of all levels and sectors is needed in communication, raising awareness, and most importantly, the individuals themselves must understand that pre-marital health check-ups are a "necessary and sufficient condition" for a safe, happy, and lasting marriage.

Duy Nam