Knowledge and Attitudes of Sana'a University Medical Students towards Premarital Screening

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of Sana’a University medical students towards premarital screening (PMS).Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the students of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, during the academic year 2012/2013. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 516 Yemeni students. The questionnaire was composed of three parts; the first part was about socio-demographic data, the second part was about the students’ knowledge about PMS and the third part was about their attitudes towards the PMS.Results: Most of the respondents (92%) knew that PMS reduces hereditary and sexually-transmitted diseases, believed that it is important to carry out and agreed to do it. Making PMS mandatory and legal prevention of marriage in case of positive results were accepted by 82% and 62% of the respondents, respectively. Conclusions: Although the majority of Sana’a University medical students favored PMS and had a fair knowledge about most of its aspects, a small proportion of them refused its mandating or legally preventing at-risk marriages. These negative attitudes could be reversed by health education of medical students on PMS.