After more than 3 years of dating, Ms. TTH (28 years old, living in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province) planned to get married. After being advised many times by acquaintances to have a premarital health check-up, Ms. H. finally convinced her lover to go to the hospital for a check-up.
Accidentally discovered the disease
At the hospital, after examination and testing, Ms. H. discovered that she had an ovarian cyst. This could affect her ability to conceive naturally. Fortunately, she discovered it early so she could receive timely treatment. She and her boyfriend are now married and are preparing to welcome their first child.
Meanwhile, Mr. TTK (34 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) and his wife have not had children after 5 years of marriage despite not using any contraceptive methods. When they went to the hospital for a check-up, the doctors discovered that Mr. K. had very low sperm count and poor quality. If he had gone for a check-up before getting married, his condition could have improved and he and his wife would not have wasted 5 years waiting for a child.
Specialist II Doctor Ly Thai Loc, Head of the Infertility Department at Hung Vuong Hospital (HCMC), said that the hospital often receives many cases of ovarian cysts. However, not all cases are as lucky as Ms. H. Many couples come to the clinic after many years of marriage without having children. As we get older, treatment for diseases related to reproductive function becomes more difficult.
According to Dr. Loc, premarital health check-ups for women often include ovarian-related diseases such as ovarian failure, ovarian cysts, blocked fallopian tubes, etc.; while for men, weak sperm is common. "This rate is increasing, not only in Vietnam but all over the world. Notably, the cause of the increasingly weak sperm in men has not yet been found," said Dr. Loc.
Dr. Loc emphasized that premarital health check-ups help couples before marriage to protect their health, screen, prevent, and detect early sexually transmitted diseases; hepatitis B, C; syphilis; genetic diseases; weak sperm, ovarian cysts, etc. Early detection of diseases can lead to timely treatment, ensuring a safe pregnancy after marriage to give birth to healthy children.
Regarding the viewpoint that young people and those who regularly go for regular health check-ups do not need premarital check-ups, Dr. Loc said that the main factor of premarital check-ups is to examine reproductive functions, so more in-depth tests are needed, unlike general check-ups to check for diseases.
Normally, couples start going for premarital health check-ups when they are preparing to get married. However, it is possible to go earlier to screen for health problems. "It is best to go for premarital health check-ups at least 3-6 months before getting married to have more time to prepare. For women, the best time to go for check-ups is on the 5th-6th day of menstruation. As for men, when going for check-ups, they need to abstain from ejaculation for 3 days before" - Dr. Loc advised.
Improve population quality
Premarital health examination and counseling not only benefit couples in their married life but also have important implications for improving population quality.
Mr. Nguyen Chanh Trung, Head of the Department of Population and Family Planning of Ho Chi Minh City, said that pre-marital health check-ups are a necessary step to help young people - especially couples preparing to get married - prepare knowledge, psychology, and health to start a healthy and safe married life and sex.
Premarital health check-ups bring many benefits. First of all, it helps couples proactively screen, detect early and promptly treat diseases related to reproductive health, the ability to conceive and give birth. In particular, it limits the rate of congenital malformations inherited from parents. In addition, this is also a solution to help maintain family happiness when future couples have useful knowledge, stable psychology, avoid emotional disorders, anxiety or suspicion of each other related to having children. In addition, young men and women will be consulted and guided on the most appropriate contraceptive and family planning methods, avoiding the need for abortion due to unwanted pregnancy.
Specialist II Doctor Ly Thai Loc, Head of Infertility Department, Hung Vuong Hospital (HCMC), examines an infertile patient.
Not interested
Despite the many benefits, many people are still indifferent to premarital health check-ups. Many people are still hesitant to have a health check-up before marriage, because they are afraid that if they discover a disease, it will affect their happiness as a couple. Some people even think that "only when they suspect each other should they have a check-up".
According to statistics at Hung Vuong Hospital, each year 40,000 - 45,000 children are born. In the Infertility Department alone, there are about 30,000 visits, of which only about 200 - 300 are pre-marital visits. "Pre-marital visits can be done at other departments in the hospital. However, most pre-marital visits will check reproductive health, so if any abnormalities are detected, the patient will receive specialized intervention. This can only be done at the infertility department. With the above rate, it shows that currently, pre-marital health checks are not of interest to everyone. Meanwhile, the infertility rate is increasing - accounting for about 20% - 30%, meaning that out of 100 couples, about 20 - 30 couples are infertile" - Dr. Ly Thai Loc is concerned.
According to Mr. Nguyen Chanh Trung, statistics from 2017 to 2022 show that the rate of premarital examinations at the Department of Population and Family Planning increased from 319 couples to 950 couples. Although the rate has increased, the number of couples undergoing premarital health examinations remains very low.
Doctor Ly Thai Loc noted that in order to have a sustainable married life, couples should have premarital health check-ups at obstetrics and gynecology hospitals, obstetrics and gynecology departments at hospitals or reproductive health care centers.
50% of infertility cases are under 30 years old
According to the World Health Organization, infertility is the third most dangerous disease in the 21st century, after cancer and cardiovascular disease. Statistics show that Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest infertility rate in the world, with 50% of cases occurring in people under the age of 30.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, each year in our country there are about 1 million infertile couples, a rate of about 7.7%. In particular, the rate of secondary infertility (infertility after one pregnancy) increases by 15% - 20% every year and accounts for more than 50% of infertile couples. The rate of infertility due to men accounts for 40%, due to women accounts for 40%, 10% due to both husband and wife and 10% of unknown causes.
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