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Arabia
Saudis make pre-nuptial medical tests compulsory
2003-12-30
The Saudi government decided Monday to make pre-nuptial medical tests compulsory in the conservative Muslim kingdom, starting from February 20, the official news agency SPA reported. The cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, approved a proposal from the Justice Ministry to make such tests a requirement for couples planning to marry. The decision would apply to all Saudis from February 20, it said. “Fiancés will have to present a certificate proving they have undergone the medical test before marriage,” said SPA. But “they will not be obliged to conform to the results of the medical test if they do not so wish”.
What're the tests for? To make sure they're closely enough related?
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#12  That explains the mass phsycosis.
made it less than a paragraph.
Posted by: raptor   2003-12-30 3:49:54 PM  

#11  Same as Eric, I just flicked through that page and found some revolting stuff.

How the hell are we supposed to reason with these people?
Posted by: Tony (UK)   2003-12-30 3:43:25 PM  

#10  If only we could sit down together and reason, and understand and bridge the gulf between us...

*reads Eric's link*

*sounds of vomiting*

Let's see, now where were we?
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2003-12-30 2:20:49 PM  

#9  Seafarious,

I couldn't finish that damned page. Hell, I could hardly start it. Does anyone here know what that Saudi Arabia News site is? Who puts it out?


Anyhow, I'm perfectly willing to believe that the genetic testing is precisely that, not a virginity test or other disease test.

The same cultural imperatives that causes the Saudis to arrange these consanguineous marriages also keeps them backward. I'd say the last is a good thing, except that the same attitudes inspire Saudis to hijack airplanes and crash them into buildings, bomb dormitories, consign teenagers trying to escape a fire to death, and destroy everything they see.


Oh, and that was supposed to be NYT, not TYT. Damn typos. I was so angry I couldn't type straight.

Posted by: Eric Jablow   2003-12-30 12:30:46 PM  

#8  Could be a virginity test (just for the gals, of course). I once worked for a plastic surgeon and we had numerous calls from Middle Eastern women requesting surgical restoration of their innocence. The story was always the same; they came to US for college, but it was time to go home to their arranged marriage, and...you can guess the rest. Unfortunately, no can do.

BTW, Eric, I checked out your link; made my skin crawl. Ick.
Posted by: seafarious   2003-12-30 12:12:20 PM  

#7  Saudi Arabia Awakes to the Perils of Inbreeding.

This might explain all those "militants" in that part of the world.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2003-12-30 11:55:35 AM  

#6  All this mandatory testing is sure to cause widespread seething and humiliation. Good thing I stocked up on C4 and video cassettes.
Posted by: BH   2003-12-30 11:01:43 AM  

#5  A colleague of mine once had a child diagnosed with severe SMA before birth. The child died before he was a month old. No possible treatment.

On the other hand, while Googling for the TYT story in my previous comment, I saw something that really lowered my sympathy level. Here is one Saudi's view of genetic diseases. This one really scares me.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2003-12-30 10:53:45 AM  

#4  Spinal Muscular Atrophy? That explains a lot..
Posted by: Frank G   2003-12-30 9:57:32 AM  

#3  Of course, it would help if they didn't marry their cousins

That would be a good start.
Posted by: RW2004   2003-12-30 3:16:40 AM  

#2  This was published in the New York Times on 1 May 2003:
Saudi Arabia Awakes to the Perils of Inbreeding.

Widespread inbreeding in Saudi Arabia has produced several genetic disorders, Saudi public health officials said, including the blood diseases of thalassemia, a potentially fatal hemoglobin deficiency, and sickle cell anemia. Spinal muscular atrophy and diabetes are also common, especially in the regions with the longest traditions of marriage between relatives. Dr. Sakati said she had also found links between inbreeding and deafness and muteness.

It is a great tragedy. There are similar testing programs in the United States for Jewish couples, though not with governmental coercion. A Jewish couple can get tested at a nominal cost for Tay-Sachs, Niemann-Pick, and cystic fibrosis. If both partners carry the same disease gene, they get counseling. I'm not sure they even tell the exact disease, so that they don't have trouble finding new partners.

The incidence of Tay-Sachs disease in the US has dropped by a lot since testing has become available. May this effort be successful in Saudi Arabia; Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a particularly horrible disease. Whatever justified grudges we may have against SA, we should only wish for good health for their children.

Of course, it would help if they didn't marry their cousins.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2003-12-30 1:37:00 AM  

#1  Fred, this IS most strange...
Is this to catch AIDS or VD or what?
Posted by: Jennie Taliaferro   2003-12-30 1:00:08 AM  

00:00