Awareness of premarital screening for genetics and infectious diseases among the College students of Abha KSA

Background: The premarital examination awareness programs offered by the colleges in Abha have been described as a series of publications, meetings and scientific symposia with the aim of educating students about the importance of premarital examination in order to Reducing the spread of some genetic blood diseases (sickle-cell thalassemia) and some infectious diseases (hepatitis B / C, and acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS), Spreading awareness of the concept of a comprehensive healthy marriage, Reducing pressure on health institutions and blood banks and Avoiding the social and psychological problems of families whose children suffer. Aim: To assess the reality of Awareness of premarital screening for genetics and infectious diseases among the College students of Abha KSA Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study targeting male and female students studying in Abha colleges for the year 1443/2022. The data was collected using a pre-structured electronic questionnaire initiated by the researcher after a comprehensive literature review and expert consultation. As a digital survey and distribute it to all students of King Khalid University (KKU) via e-mail, WhatsApp and other methods. Results: A total of 397 participants completed the study questionnaire. The ages of the participants ranged from approximately (13.4)% of the respondents between the ages of 19 to less than 21 years, (35%) aged between 21 to less than 23 years, (34.3%) between the ages of 23 to 25 years, and (17.4%) between the ages of 27 to Less than 25 years old.. The total number of participants was 397, 311((78.3%)) males and 86 (21.7%) females, holders of university degrees.314( 79%) of the study sample were single, while there were83 (21%) of the surveyed sample of married people. The averages of the college in which he teaches awareness programs about genetic and infectious diseases before marriage ranges between (1.67 to 2.68 out of 3), which means that the level of the college's provision of programs on genetic diseases before marriage ranges from medium to high. The results indicated the degree of students' awareness of the infectious diseases that are examined before marriage. Their arithmetic averages were between (45.3%) for AIDS, (26.7%) for hepatitis, (7.1%) for AIDS and anemia, (4%) for tuberculosis, and Pima (16.9%). ) did not specify their answers. The results indicated that sickle cell anemia ranked first as the most important blood and hereditary disease, representing (36.5%) of the total number of genetic diseases examined, followed by anemia (10.8%), hepatitis and viral infection (10.3%), while The rest of the diseases such as (malformations, blood diseases, genetic anemia, diabetes, anemia, Down syndrome, diabetes, infertility and marriage) all came in low and close rates, ranging between (2.8% to 3.5%)., The degree of awareness of male and female students that the examination before marriage is available to all Saudis, 89.4%) of the research sample confirms that they know that the examination before marriage is available to all in the Kingdom, while (11%) do not know., As for the students' belief in the importance of pre-marriage examination, 93% of the total sample surveyed performed this principle, meaning that examination before marriage is useful to prevent the transmission of diseases to offspring, As for the source of knowledge for students about premarital examination, the results indicated that more than half of the research sample (52.4%) learned about premarital examination through social media, (22.7%) through awareness programs provided by the university, (10.1%) ) get acquainted with it through television, while there are (8.1%) who obtain this information through all the aforementioned means of information for individuals. The results also indicated that the degree of awareness of male and female students about the existence of pre-marital examination centers in Abha confirms (76.8%) of the total research sample that they are aware that the city of Abha includes a pre-marital examination center, and that only (23.2%) are among the skeptics and those who deny He informed them that there is a pre-spousal examination facility in Abha city, The participants made a number of proposals to develop awareness programs at the university, the most important of which is that there should be a common course for all students in all faculties arranged to raise awareness of the importance of premarital examination and the diseases it deals with, and the most important centers in the Kingdom, Organizing awareness sessions, seminars and lectures to educate students on the subject of premarital examination, Organizing courses and trainings on pre-marital examination, in addition to encouraging and supporting students in providing information inside and outside the university. Conclusions: In conclusion, the study showed through the opinions of male and female students that the degree of their approval of the reality of awareness about genetic and infectious diseases before marriage in their colleges was medium approval, as was the degree of their awareness of the importance of premarital examination and the locations of its centers in the city of Abha.