What was marriage blood test for

A young woman gets tested for syphilis in a "trailer-laboratory" in Washington, D. New York's subway stations were filled with lovely posters like this in the late s and early s. Big Questions disease government History law News.

Subscribe to our Newsletter! It once was a major public health problem. It was such a scourge that in the late 's, Bengsch tells me, people here in Greene County were tossed in the clink for not seeking treatment — or not refraining from sex — and knowingly spreading the disease.

The mandatory test for syphilis ended in because it was yielding few positive results and was not cost effective. Many other states ended the test, as well. In , for example, 34 states required a blood test for syphilis before a couple could get married. Now, only the District of Columbia and Montana mandate one. The Montana test is for women only, according to the website www. Nolo provides legal information in layman's terms.

Today, the number of Greene County cases is small but has risen in recent years, says Kathryn Wall, spokeswoman for the health department. In , there were eight cases; in there were The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in November that cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis — all venereal diseases — increased for the first time since The biggest increase for syphilis was among men having sex with men.

Patricia Dix, who specializes in maternal and fetal medicine with CoxHealth. Decades ago, there never was a mandatory blood test for either gonorrhea or chlamydia, which both occur more often than syphilis.

That's because no such blood test exists, Dix says. Fortunately, gonorrhea is far easier for a woman to detect because there are symptoms, including vaginal discharge. Syphilis, on the other hand, can carry no symptoms in its early stages, Dix says. As a result, women are more likely to get quicker treatment for gonorrhea than for syphilis. Like syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia can harm the fetus. They can cause neo-natal conjunctivitis, which can lead to blindness.

Fortunately, in the United States an ointment is applied to the eyes of infants born in hospitals, she says. Not everyone can donate blood to everyone, thus it's important to know each other's blood group. It's also important as certain blood groups aren't compatible with each other and can lead to complications during pregnancy. Most couples want to have babies after marriage, thus it's good to know beforehand that if your body is fertile and fit for reproduction.

Be it diabetes or heart disease it's good to know each others family history as that can affect your child and your future health. So, it's best to make sure your partner is not infected with any of them.