الفهرس 
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Abstract
PMHC is a new and interesting health issue that needs to be investigated and discussed, especially in Islamic Arabic cultures (Al-Kahtani, 2010). Premarital care (PMC) is a worldwide activity aiming to diagnose, treat unrecognized disorders, and reduce transmission of diseases to couples (Abdelazeem, et al., 2011). However, there is a big lack in knowledge related to reproductive health even among educated persons, about the term of premarital care (PMC) (Mahini, 2009).
Thus, the aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice among prospective couples about premarital health care in EL-Minia City. It is a descriptive study conducted with premarital prospective couples attending to the main PMCs in Minia City during the study period (from March to July 2011).
A systematic random sample was conducted among 500 prospective couples divided into: (225 female and 275 male) completed structured interviewing sheet by direct interview. Collecting data included socio-demographic characteristics, the family and personal health history, surgical history, menstrual history, questions about assessing couple’s knowledge about premarital health care and couple’s knowledge about STDs.
The structured interviewing sheet was also included statements to determine participants’ attitudes towards premarital health care and observational checklist about practices done for prospective couples in PMCs.
Results of the present indicated that the mean age of male studied sample was 26.2 ± 5.9 years compared with the mean age of 22.6 ± 4.9 years of female, while more than two thirds (65.4%) of respondents in the age group 20 ≤ 30 years. The majority of the respondents (81.6%) in this study were Muslims and two thirds (68.0%) of them from rural area.
The vast majority of total studied samples (96.6%) were singles. (40%) of the respondents were finished education in secondary/ institution, (19.8%) were read and write , (18.4%) were finished education in university and only few (2.8%) post graduated. Illiterates and those who had basic education constituted (14.6%) & (4.4%) respectively. Approximately two-thirds of the participants (66.8%) were farmers and workers with a highly significance difference between study participants.
The vast majority of the studied prospective couples (96.8 %) were previously heard about investigations done before marriage. Most of the respondents mentioned to assure general health as an important of premarital health care, while important in consanguinity to discovering hereditary diseases was reported by (1.6 %) only. However , (46.2%) of respondents reported Complete Blood Count as investigations will done for them during premarital health care.
Quarter (24.9%) of female respondents reported that they had an idea about rubella while (12.9%) reported that rubella is skin rashes and redness, while only (1.3%) reported they don’t know. However, majority of respondents (88%) hadn’t idea about rubella vaccine and how it’s important before marriage.
Half of the total studied participants (50.4%) had knowledge about genetic diseases and its relation with congenital anomalies; while more than quarter (29%) reported organ deformity as congenital anomalies results from genetic diseases.
In this study only few (6.6%) of respondents had a history of hereditary disease in their family. Nearly three quarters (73%) of respondents want to know more information about hereditary diseases and congenital anomalies, while more than quarter (27%) of them didn’t want to know more. Television was the main source of getting information reported by (38.2%) of respondents.
Nearly two thirds (61.8%) of respondents hadn’t knowledge about STDs, while more than one third (38.2%) had knowledge about STDs. More than three quarters of respondents (79.4%) don’t know effects of STDs.
More than quarter of female respondents (27.1%) had knowledge about STDs can transmit from mother to her fetus during pregnancy, while nearly three quarters (72.9%) hadn’t knowledge about the same question.
In this study, more than half (60.4%) of respondents observed as premarital examination done for them, more than half (53.4%) of respondents observed as premarital investigation done incompletely for them, while more than half (53.4%) of them observed as obligatory tests done for them and more than half (53.4%) of them observed as premarital counseling and health education done incompletely for them.
Through these study, female participants take more practices than male study participants with a highly significance difference between both groups.
Generally, attitudes of prospective couples in this study were positive among all parameters statements about premarital health care with no significance difference between both groups, while there is a significance difference between both groups regards as premarital care should be obligatory.
Since the findings indicated that prospective couples were to somewhat knowledgeable about premarital health care and had positive attitudes toward the importance of premarital health care and testing; however they were less knowledgeable about STDs , effects of STDs and mode of transmission.
A lack of knowledge about hereditary/ genetic diseases, consanguineous marriage and congenital malformation put continue to place young Egyptian couples at risk of genetic disorders in the future. So there is urgent need to introduce health education about effects of consanguinity, genetic / hereditary diseases and add sexual education at the premarital examination in order to increase couples’ awareness about consanguineous marriage especially closed relatives, hereditary/ genetic diseases, congenital malformation and the STDs.