marital tests have revealed nine cases of AIDS in Jizan, saving the lives of prospective partners, according to Mohsin Tubaiqi, director of the Health Department in Jizan. Tubaiqi was speaking at a symposium on health in marriage in Jizan Sunday. “Pre-marital tests are crucial in stopping the deadly infection from spreading to unsuspecting partners,” he said. “One serious infection could destroy a happy marriage,” he said. Over the past 15 months, the health department in Jizan has conducted pre-marital tests for 18,797 people. Out of this total, 1,969 people were found affected with sickle cell anemia, 54 with anemia, 309 with Thalassaemia, 283 with Hepatitis B, 32 with Hepatitis C, and nine with AIDS. The health department found that 52 percent of marriages would not be compatible as shown by the pre-marital tests. The couples were advised to cancel their marriage plans and look for different partners. About 47 percent of the couples heeded the advice, Tubaiqi said. Couples have become more open to accepting incompatibility based on health reasons, said Muhammad Al-Saidi, director of the non-contagious diseases department at the Ministry of Health. “There are an increasing number of Saudi couples who have taken our advice to heart and canceled their marriages,” he said.
