I heard the word "love isn't enough" from someone but when the person mentioned this, she was saying it in the context of choosing finance over love but in this post, i am not talking about finance, I am talking about health or medicals as some people would refer to it.
Finding love is one, but in the journey of marriage, there are a lot of things you should know about your partner, and I am not talking about his favorite meal, color, love language and so on, I am talking about medical compatibility. Marriage is a long journey and some questions are to be answered so on that note, let's begin.
Your Genotype and that of your partner is very important before marriage. You might have heard things like AA, AS, SS, AC, and SC. Genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism, so if a partner is AS, and his other is SS, it is advisable that they both abort the mission of marriage because love is not enough as there is a 50% chance of a sickle cell anemic child in each pregnancy.
That said, another question to ask is the blood group and rhesus factor of your partner. knowing the blood group of your partner would save the child from Rhesus factor isoimmunization, and Blood group incompatibility. If an O positive lady marries an O negative Man, the body of the lady will treat the O negative as foreign during pregnancy leading to hydrops fetalis in infant.
HIV status us one question my sister was asked when she went to the hospital for her antenatal care. Both herself and her husband were required to come do an HIV test before antenatal began but they already knew their status before they got married so they were willing to perform the test again. As a person, you should know the HIV status of your partner before you get into the boat of marriage.
As you confirm HIV status, be willing to confirm Hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted diseases. Similar to HIV, Hepatitis is very contagious and can be transmitted from person to person. It is important to know your status with STDs and treat them properly so they do not lead to infertility in the future.
Knowing how fertile your partner is, is a very important question especially in this part of the world where I am from. You see, infertility that can be treated can lead to psychological problems if not attended to before marriage as the family of the couples can make their lives a living hell especially the parents of the couple sine our believe is that children are the fruits of marriage. Fertility test could include sperm analysis, Hormonal check for both couples, test for ovulation, Pelvic ultrasound scan, Testosterone test, Prolactin test and so on.
While love is a beautiful and essential part of any relationship, ensuring medical compatibility is equally important for a healthy and happy marriage. Knowing your partner's genotype, blood group, Rhesus factor, HIV status, and overall fertility can help prevent future health complications and foster a stronger, more informed partnership. By addressing these medical aspects early on, couples can build a solid foundation for a lifetime of love and health together.
Post Reference
https://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/genotype-234/
https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/genetics-dictionary/def/genotype
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20628988/
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001306.htm
https://www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/cerebral-palsy/risk-factors/blood-type-incompatibility/
https://health.usf.edu/care/obgyn/services-specialties/mfm/isoimmunization
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/diagnosis/
https://www.who.int/health-topics/hiv-aids#tab=tab_1
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis)
