BMJ 2003;326:277-279 ( 1 February )

Education and debate

Getting married in China: pass the medical first

Therese Hesketh, senior research fellow. 

Centre for International Child Health, Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH

hesketh@mail.hz.zj.cn

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Having herself passed the Chinese premarital medical examination, Therese Hesketh considers the benefits and disadvantages of this mandatory form of screening for fitness to wed and to reproduce

In China nearly 20 million people get married every year, but first they have to pass the premarital medical examination. As a client of the process myself 10 years ago, I recall that the examination was a minor hurdle in the bureaucratic mire of getting married. Having obtained the certificate of non-impediment from the UK Registry Office and arranged notarisation first by the British Embassy and then the Zhejiang Provincial Notary Public Office, I had to obtain the certificate of approval to get married from my work unit. With these documents the certificate for permission to have a premarital examination was issued.

My main memories of the examination are of detailed questions about illness in first and second degree relatives, being examined fully clothed . . . [Full text of this article]
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Alswaidi, F. M, O'Brien, S. J (2009). Premarital screening programmes for haemoglobinopathies, HIV and hepatitis viruses: review and factors affecting their success. J Med Screen 16: 22-28 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Hesketh, T, Duo, L, Li, H, Tomkins, A M (2005). Attitudes to HIV and HIV testing in high prevalence areas of China: informing the introduction of voluntary counselling and testing programmes. Sex. Transm. Infect. 81: 108-112 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Liu, J. (2004). Holding Up the Sky? Reflections on Marriage in Contemporary China. Feminism Psychology 14: 195-202  

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