Prevalence and Gender Distribution of Thalassemia Traits in Couples Undergoing Premarital Screening at Al-Madaen General Hospital in Baghdad-Iraq

Background: Thalassemia is a heterogeneous group of inherited hemoglobin disorders caused by quantitative defects in globin chain synthesis, resulting in chronic anemia of different severity. Thalassemia is a significant public health challenge in Iraq, preventive methods, particularly premarital screening programs, have been implemented to detect carriers early on and provide appropriate genetic counseling. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and gender distribution of thalassemia trait among couples undergoing premarital screening in Baghdad, Iraq. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out during the period from 2nd of January 2024 till the 27th of December 2024 at Al-Madaen General hospital. All individuals with microcytic anemia who completed the premarital screening process and had complete hematological data were included in the study. Individuals with already known hemoglobinopathies, those with inadequate laboratory data, and those who declined to participate were excluded. Results: Among 998 screened individual (499) couples, 149 individuals were identified as having thalassemia trait, corresponding to an overall prevalence of 14.9%. The mean age ± standard deviation of the study participants is 25.87 ± 4.75 years. Within these couples, only male carrier was prevalent among 71 (14.23%), while female carrier was prevalent among 38 (7.26%) and both partner (high risk) among 20 (4%). Conclusion: Continuous use of specific screening approaches (such as microcytosis-based selection) in conjunction with traditional premarital screening. The study highlights the importance of improved hematological screening for identifying silent carriers and expanding genetic counseling reach.