Until last autumn, everyone in China who wished to get married
was required to have a physical examination. But under the new
Regulation on Marriage Registration that came into effect on
October 1, 2003, people can choose whether to have a premarital
physical. The sharp drop in the number of people having them has
prompted yet another reform in some areas: free prenuptial health
checks.
The free exams were first carried out this May in Putuo
District, Zhoushan City, in southeast China’s Zhejiang Province.
The checkup includes routine blood and urine tests, liver function
and hepatitis B antigen tests, chest X-ray, syphilis test and HIV
test. The local government covers the entire cost of 213 yuan
(US$25.70).
The district also provides free prenatal physical exams.
In the first three months of this year, only five couples opted
to have premarital exams in Putuo District, less than 5 percent of
the total marriage registrations. Hangzhou City reported a rate of
only 2.3 percent and Zhejiang Province a mere 1.9 percent.
But making premarital check-ups non-compulsory does not mean
they are unimportant. According to the Ministry of Health, in 2002,
9.3 percent of applicants for marriage licenses were found to have
diseases. Most of these were reproductive, internal and/or
infectious diseases that require precautions from both partners in
the marriage.
The district’s AIDS prevention work group decided to allocate
some funds from the AIDS prevention budget to supply free
premarital medical exams.
Experts say that such examinations can be an important tool in
preventing the spread of AIDS. Moreover, the doctors can provide
advice on birth control and family planning, helping couples avoid
unplanned pregnancy.
Many people have applauded the free examinations, regarding it a
means to guarantee the health of mothers and babies.
(China.org.cn by Feng Yikun, June 8, 2004)