Knowledge and attitude of families of children with hemoglobinopathies toward pre-marital testing in Yemen : a pilot study

Abstract EN

Premarital screening plays an important role in the control of genetic disorders such as Hemoglobinopathies in which consanguineous marriage increases their incidence.

The aim of the study was to explore the knowledge and attitude of premarital testing among the families of affected children with thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

The study was done through a direct interview with family members attending hematology clinic using a designed questionnaire.

The study involved 43 family members.

It showed a high consanguineous marriage with 86.4% of first degree.

Only 25 % knew about premarital testing.

However, 56.8% of the participants thought that the test could be accepted by the population through direct meeting and discussion As many as 54.5% had no idea about the best time of the test.

Despite 56.8% would encouraged their offspring to participate in such program, 34.1% in favor of separation of the couples if they are carriers, and only 3 out of the 43 would go for termination of pregnancy if they had affected fetus This study showed a lack of knowledge about the premarital testing, but a positive attitude toward it.

It stresses the importance and initiation of preventive program of the most common genetic disorders particularly hemoglobinopathies.

To our knowledge no similar previous study has been carried out in Yemen