Pre-marital medicals proposed
Today's Gulf Times, p. 3, reports that Pre-marriage medicals are being planned for all nationals to "do tests for Aids as well as hereditary diseases."
This brings a warm feeling to my heart and is certainly long overdue. I know that Hamad has been offering genetic counselling services for at least a year now, but of course the only time such a service will be used is when a family gives birth to a child with a hereditary defect--to late for that child and possible too late for others (especially if other children in the family are recessive carriers of the bad gene).
This at least moves the issue a bit earlier so that couples can understand the issues and risks before they have children.
My question though is this: is this still too late? Once an engagement is announced, would it be possible/appropriate in Qatari culture for the family/ies to break off the engagement if the medical reports suggested the possibility of a birth defect (or if one of the parties had AIDS)? Or would the advice be ignored (possibly with the hope that Inshallah, no ill will befall the couple or their families)?
Well apparently Diana's genes knocked that tailbone shyte out of the water!
Even if a poor gentleman did test positive for HV he could always try and chalk it up to a dirty needle when he got the flu shot from a Bulgarian nurse...
Very wise decision and I did hear a few year back that because the British royal family were inbreeding that they actually started to have a growth on the backbone like a tail so it does have consequences.
owen
I think this is much better as especialy in this part of the world genetic sickness are far larger because of the inter family marriages.
What about AIDS - so the engagement shouldn't be broken off oh so lets breed more and more AIDS.
I don't see breaking the engagement as an awful thing at all, unless the cousins happen to really be in love. Let's face it-most marriages between family members are arranged matters of alliances and loyalty, not love. A 14 year old Qatar girl at my daughter's school has two cousins that want to marry her. They are both currently trying to negotiate with her father over which one will,um,"win" her.
THere has to be a limit on Genetic testing, there have been cases of Health Insurance companies getting hold of the results and charging for any risk or possible risk you may be in for a paticular disease.
Think if the banks or mortgage lenders got the same data, they wouldn't lend you money because there is the risk you won't be able to repay it / claim medical disability cover.
Let alone employers
Owen, I agree about annual checkups but I don't think AIDS is normally part of that checkup--because it makes an implied judgement about the lifestyle of the patient and because if a patient is not thinking they may be HIV positive, they may not want to know the answer if a positive result is found.
But genetic testing is only appropriate if someone is considering having children and i don't know many people who have even considered it unless they have a family history of a defect.
I would think the incidence of genetic defects to be very high here (along with lead poisoning that limits academic aptitude) but wonder if Qataris would see the connections between defects in their children with the high rate of inbreeding, or would they just attribute this to some metaphysical cause?
I know some families who require HIV testing for the man before even consenting to an engagement-especially if he has spent time studyng or working in the west. I think if there was a clear indication that there could be a inbreedng defect then engagement would be cancelled.
In my husband's family there is a cousin that they feel has been effected by inbreedng. There is a general consensus now among the extended family that they will only marry outside the family.
Are inbreedng birth defects common in Qatar?
that would be awful, i mean breaking off with the engagement because of the medical result..
in my opinion, one should get a regular med exam yearly just to be ALWAYS on the safe side...so he/she would be aware and not wait until engagement..
[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
I would damm well hope so, what is the point of the pre nuptial medical when he/she maybe infected with aids or any other heridtory sicknesses - - Oh they are engaged but the family is more important than the disease so just continue and get married be merry and spread.