The terms and conditions for issuing the prenuptial medical certificate, required when establishing the marriage certificate, have just been modified.
Indeed, an executive decree relating to the medical certificate and premarital examinations and analyzes appeared in the latest official journal n°76 of November 13. This stipulates in article 2 that “the medical certificate is established after a compulsory pre-nuptial medical examination”. The objective of this visit: first of all, to allow the future spouses to take stock of their state of health and to look for conditions that can be transmitted from one to the other or to their descendants.
Then, to screen for pathologies or risk factors which could pose a health problem to the future spouses, during a possible pregnancy. And finally, this medical visit will provide broader information on lifestyle, reproductive health and family planning. And it is precisely at the end of this medical consultation, carried out by a practicing doctor for each of the future spouses, that the prenuptial medical certificate will be issued to each of them.
Essential point: the medical certificate can only be issued by the doctor after having carried out a careful questioning in search of family or personal history of chronic pathologies, hereditary diseases or malformations, in particular chromosomal anomalies, genetic diseases and congenital heart disease.
In addition, it will now be important for the couple to undergo a complete clinical examination, including measurement of blood pressure, weight and height. In terms of medical analyses, there are compulsory biological examinations, namely the determination of the blood group (A, B, o, Rhesus) as well as serological examinations for toxoplasmosis, rubella and syphilis.
In terms of recommended biological tests, we find viral hepatitis B (HBV) serology, viral hepatitis C (HCV) serology as well as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serology. Note that the decree stipulates that the doctor may prescribe other necessary biological examinations if signs or symptoms are noted which could lead, in particular, to sexually transmitted pathologies.
In addition, consultation of the health record is also recommended, in order to take stock of vaccinations (tetanus, tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, measles, rubella and whooping cough). And only after reading the results of all the examinations and analyzes can the doctor issue the medical certificate. “The medical certificate certifies that the future spouses have undergone the examinations and analyzes provided for by this decree. It is signed and given to each of the future spouses, in person, by the doctor.
This certificate must mention that the results and recommendations relating to the premarital examinations and analyzes have been explained to them in an informed and individual manner,” specifies the decree. Please note that this certificate has a validity period. Indeed, according to the decree, the notary or civil status officer can only proceed to draw up the marriage certificate after presentation, by each of the future spouses, of the prenuptial medical certificate, dated less than of three months.
Furthermore, article 7 of the same decree stipulates that the notary or the civil status officer must establish, by the simultaneous hearing of the two future spouses, that they have taken note of the results of the examinations carried out by each of them. between them and illnesses or risk factors that they could reveal and which contraindicate marriage. “It is mentioned in the marriage certificate.” However, the decree makes it known that the notary or civil registrar cannot refuse the conclusion of the marriage for medical reasons, against the wishes of the parties concerned.
Protect the couple
if initially, people who intend to marry could have been satisfied with a simple medical examination with the mention of the blood group and an explanation of certain infectious diseases, “it will now be obligatory for them to undergo a medical examination complete with mention of weight, height and blood pressure,” explains Dr D. Cherif, infectious disease specialist.
Ensuring in passing that analyzes for toxoplasmosis, rubella and syphilis have become obligatory, while those for hepatitis B and C as well as HIV are recommended. “As for the latter, I would have preferred that they were obligatory too,” she believes. Dr. D. Cherif also assures that it is now also advisable for women to be vaccinated against measles if they are not immunized, two months before considering pregnancy. “The couple is also advised to be vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus,” she adds.
These new provisions will, according to the specialist, prevent several communicable diseases and will protect the couple thanks to vaccination, in particular the hepatitis B vaccine, which is very good. “It is also a preventive measure to protect the health of parents and their children,” she concludes.
For his part, Dr Yacine Iddir, president of the Santé pour tous association, believes that these new provisions are an important step forward for public health in Algeria. According to him, these measures make it possible to better prepare future spouses for their life together, by raising their awareness of health risks and offering them a prevention framework, which is essential for their well-being and that of their future family.
“It is important to know that screening for transmissible pathologies, such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and genetic diseases, makes it possible to intervene at an early stage and offer appropriate solutions, such as treatments or advice on family planning. “, he explains. Specifying that the detailed questioning and clinical examination, in addition to the recommended biological analyses, make it possible to draw up a complete inventory of the health of the future spouses.
This, according to Dr. Iddir, not only prevents potential complications during pregnancy, but also identifies underlying risks, such as hypertension or family history of chronic diseases, which can be managed before conception. .
Regarding screening for hereditary diseases, such as chromosomal abnormalities, sickle cell anemia and other genetic pathologies, Dr. Iddir considers this “particularly relevant in a country like Algeria, where certain conditions are more common.
This makes it possible in particular to advise future parents on the risks and prevention measures, or even to direct them towards specialized genetic consultations, if necessary. However, Dr Yacine Iddir insists that these examinations should not be seen as a miracle solution.
To this end, he explains: “If these examinations are important to prevent certain diseases, it remains essential that the future spouses are also accompanied in their approach by competent health professionals, and that these examinations are accompanied by advice, particularly in terms of health education, lifestyle and awareness of family planning.
These are key success factors for these measures to have a real impact.” In other words, Dr Yacine Iddir welcomes these new provisions which seem “judicious and necessary to promote better reproductive health and avoid health risks. They help lay the foundations for better management of health risks in the life of the couple and the family,” he concludes.
