Al Sulaiman Ayman, Suliman Ahmed, Al Mishari May, Al Sawadi Aziza, Owaidah Tarek M
Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Hemoglobin. 2008;32(6):531-8. doi: 10.1080/03630260802508384.
Genetic screening is an important tool to control, minimize, and prevent genetic disorders. Saudi Arabia started the first national premarital screening (PMS) program to control inherited hemoglobin (Hb) disorders that are the most commonly inherited genetic disorders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, perception, and attitude among the Saudi population about the PMS program through a questionnaire-based survey. A total of 1,047 candidates were included, divided into three groups. Group A represented the general population, group B was composed of couples presenting for PMS, and group C represented couples who had received their results. There was a fair knowledge among participants of the three groups about the nature of the tests and the targeted disorders, with more than 80% believing that it should include both sexually and genetically transmitted diseases. The concept of genetic counseling was liked by most of the participants. There was a positive attitude toward the program and the majority agreed to apply the PMS program to all couples in all country regions. More than 60% of all the participants were in favor of preventing at-risk marriages.
基因筛查是控制、减少和预防遗传疾病的一项重要工具。沙特阿拉伯启动了首个全国性婚前筛查（PMS）项目，以控制遗传性血红蛋白（Hb）疾病，这类疾病是沙特阿拉伯王国最常见的遗传性疾病。本研究的目的是通过一项基于问卷调查的方式，评估沙特人群对婚前筛查项目的知识、认知和态度。总共纳入了1047名受试者，分为三组。A组代表普通人群，B组由前来进行婚前筛查的夫妇组成，C组代表已收到筛查结果的夫妇。三组受试者对检测性质和目标疾病有一定了解，超过80%的人认为筛查应包括性传播疾病和遗传传播疾病。大多数受试者认可遗传咨询的概念。对该项目持积极态度，大多数人同意在全国所有地区对所有夫妇实施婚前筛查项目。超过60%的受试者赞成预防有风险的婚姻。
