Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

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Do you know your Genotype?

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Kunle Emmanuel
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Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

Genotype effect on marriage.

Genotype... simply refers to hemoglobin gene constituents or simply saying gene from your biological parents. Genotype is the genetic makeup of an individual with reference to a trait or multiple traits. They are the collection of genes passed from parents to the children.

There are four genotypes in humans - AA, AS, SS and AC. AC genotype is not so common and popular unlike the other three. SS and AC are the abnormal genotypes or the sickle cells. The knowledge of genotype is important when choosing life partners.

So who can you marry and who shouldn't you marry based on Genotype compatibility?

If AA marries AA = AA, AA, AA, AA babies
If AA marries AS = AA and AS babies
If AA marries SS = AS, AS babies

If AS marries AS = AA, AS and SS babies

If AS marries AC = AA, AC, and SC babies
If AS marries SS = AS and SS babies
If SS marries SS = SS babies
If AC marries AC = AA, AC, AC and SS


There is no problem when one of the genes is abnormal e.g. AS, AC. This is called a carrier state (sickle cell trait).

Of course there are many cases where two abnormal was combined that is an AS and AS or AC and AC or AC and AS couples and had up to five or six children without a single sicklier among them.

But why risk it? What if you're not so lucky?
Can you forgive yourself when you end up having a child with the sickle cell disease and put the child through the agony the disease brings when you could have easily avoided it?
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AS and AS should not marry.

AS and SS shouldn't think of marrying.

And definitely SS and SS must not marry since there's absolutely no chance of escaping having a child with the sickle cell disease.

People with the genotype AA are prone to malaria sickness at their early ages. Sickle cell arises when there is any blockage in the blood vessels which inhibits the flow of oxygen. When the red blood cell do not have the required oxygen, there will be changes in its original shape (disc shape) to a "Sickle-like" or "crescent-like shape", Thus, the name "sickle cell". Sickle cell patients experience severe pains in body parts that lack oxygen flow. Their bone marrows will fail to produce red blood cells and this result to anemia. To save this crisis, blood is usually transfused to them.

In terms of compatibility, someone with AA genotype can marry anybody. It is safe for someone with AS to marry someone with AA genotype. The combinations of AS and AS, AS and AC should not be risked. There is probability of having a SS. Although. Two sickle cells should not even have a relationship or get married. Individuals with the AA genotype should help you prevent genetic abnormalities by marrying the AS, AC and SS. By this, we are hopeful to eradicate sickle cells in the world.

Know your blood group and genotype before marriage.
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Re: Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

Blood Groups

The red blood cells that transport oxygen in the body carry two antigens, which are the A and B antigens. These antigens determine the blood group. Blood groups are represented with A, AB, O, and B.

When the red blood cell carries only the A antigen, the blood group is 'A', it is 'B' when the blood cell has only the B antigen. When both A and B antigens are present, the blood group is 'AB'.

Finally, when there is neither A nor B antigen, the blood group is referred to as ’O’.
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Re: Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

Knowing one's blood group helps a lot. It determines the donor and recipient of blood transfusion, and also helps in determining paternity. A person with one blood type or group can produce antibodies against the other. For instance, a person with blood type A makes antibodies against blood type B. If this person is given blood of type B, his or her type antibodies will bind to the antigens on the type B blood cells cause the blood to clump together. Compatibility of blood type is necessary before transfusing blood in times of accidents and emergencies.
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Re: Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

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Can you forgive yourself when you end up having a child with the sickle cell disease and put the child through the agony the disease brings when you could have easily avoided it? That should not happen.
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Re: Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

Nigerians have been advised to know their genotype in order to reduce the prevalence of sickle cell diseases.

Prof Michael Kehinde of the Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), gave this advice at an inaugural lecture with the theme – “Human unique blood cells and consequences”, in Lagos.

The don said 300,000 children were born with one form of sickle cell disease (SCD) every year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa where malaria is common.

Kehinde said: “Sickle cell disease causes approximately eight percent of all infant deaths each year. The carrier of haemoglobin S (HBS) frequency is between 10 and 40 per cent with an average of 25 per cent in Nigeria. That means the sickle cell trait carrier population is over 50 million. Thus, one person out of every four persons has HBS in Nigeria.”

Genotype, according to him, is the set of genes in the cells of every living organism responsible for a particular trait or characteristics.
This disease, he said, was not inherited but acquired.

He said: “When AA marries AA, all their children will be AA. If AA marries AS, there are 50 percent chances that a child will be AA and 50 percent as AS. For children that inherit the sickle haemoglobin gene from one parent and a normal gene from the other parent, they usually have sickle cell trait”

Sickle cell disease, he said, has different symptoms, such as bone pains due to sickness and haemolysis so that the red cell lives only for about 30 days or less rather than for about 120 days (which is normal) as a result of prevailing unfavourable environment such as dehydration, infection, emotional stress, strenuous physical exercise, very cold weather, etc but live normal lives.

“They have acute vasoocclusion events, chronic haemolytic anaemia and organ dysfunction due to repeated sickening episodes. Reduced flow and oxygen supply cause pain and it may lead to rapid destruction of blood cells’, the don said.

Kehinde said adult should be educated on genotype before marriage, adding that sickle cell disease was still prevalent because of unheeded advice.

He said although they have low survival rates but they can live till 60 years and above because of increased medical care.

He attributed their low survival rates to lack of consistent coordinated care and follows up.

The Chairman of Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria, Professor Olu Akinyanju, said with more funding for research, survival rates will improve for people living with SCD.

He said: “As far back as 1972, American Congress passed the Sickle Cell Anaemia Act into law and put $250 million down to research on it. Every year they are putting almost about that same amount into it, which has been helping in making life easier for sickle cell patients. But here in Nigeria, what we allocated to the whole health budget is not even up to that amount. The level of awareness is still low. It is something that should be taught in schools.
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Re: Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

Unread post by bradnicolson »

I hadn't heard of the genotype AC until I was researching for this article and found Dr. Ademola Peter's article on the subject of genotypes and blood groups. He's also the one I quoted above and throughout this article. Unfortunately is website is currently not accessible so I can't provide link to the actual article.
Anyway, I guess AC is not common in genotypes or I've simply not heard about it. But AS and AC are both abnormal take note.
And the great problem referred to above that we're trying to avoid with genotype matchmaking for intending couples is the Sickle cell disease.
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Re: Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

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Obiano’s Wife Joins ‘no Genotype Test, no Wedding’ Campaign



Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, the wife of the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has joined the campaign on genotype test before wedding in the state.

The policy was inaugurated by her husband in July.

The governor had said he would involve churches in the state to make the policy work because of the institutions’ involvement in marriages.

The governor added that his administration would implement to the letter the Sickle Cell law passed by the state House of Assembly in 2002, which made it mandatory for intending couples to verify their genotype origins before marriage.

While saying that involving the churches would ensure strict compliance to the law, the governor said violators of the law would be punished as appropriately as possible, including denying them of government incentives

The governor’s wife on Saturday said she would monitor the decision to ensure compliance.

She said the policy would reduce the prevalence of sickle cell anaemia in the state and the resultant family crises.

She stated this at Ukpo, Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state, during an inter-denominational choral competition, organised by the Association of Persons Living With Sickle Cell Disorder in the state.

The governor’s wife, who was represented on the occasion by the Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Primary Health care Development Agency, Dr. Chioma Ezeenyimulu, said sickle cell disease was preventable.

She explained that the prevention would better start from pre-marital relationships.

The governor’s wife stressed that it would be necessary that people would know their genotypes before consenting to marriage.

She said, “If you are AS, don’t marry someone with AS because if you do, there is every likelihood that you are going to have a child with a sickle cell disorder.”

She said nobody should be discriminated against on the ground of the ailment, noting that sickle cell was like any other illness and not a death sentence.

The National Coordinator, Association of Persons Living With Sickle Cell Disorder, Ms. Aisha Edward, disclosed that arrangements had been concluded to build a national secretariat for sickle cell health management in Nigeria.

She said the centre would be erected by an oil magnate in the area, Prince Arthur Eze.

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Re: Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

Unread post by forumposting12 »

Genetic Compatibility - Is your Genotype and Blood group Compatible with the Person you're considering Marrying?
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Re: Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

Unread post by Maupe »

Nice post. Good job and well done.
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Re: Knowing Your Genotype Before Marriage

Unread post by Kunle Emmanuel »

No fewer than 40 million Nigerians are currently suffering from Sickle Cell Anaemia, according to the president, Sickle Cell Society, Ireland (SCSI), and Sickle Cell

Awareness Initiative Nigerian-Ireland, Mrs. Esther Pepple Onolememen.

Mrs Onolememem further warned that the situation could worsen and become an epidemic if proactive measures are not taken by federal government to check this genetic malady.
Sahe said, “The percentage of people living with sickle cell in Nigeria is high. If you look at it statistically, it is high and if you project the next 10 years, more than half of Nigeria’s population will be affected.

“If 40 million Nigerians are affected by sickle cell at the moment that we about 170 million population, that’s huge, and if you look at the number of births each year of carriers, it’s almost 300,000. What does that tell you?

It means that in the next three years alone, we would have about 900,000 births of carriers adding to the 40 million. You find that sickle cell will gradually become an epidemic in Nigeria if there is no response,” she added.
If we all follow this simple rule of knowing our genotype before marriage and abiding by it, the occurrence of sickle cell anaemia will be significantly reduced to a small percentage of what it is now, or maybe even eliminate it altogether by 2080.”

She expressed disappointment at the way people are non-challant about adopting this simple solution that inadvertently saves the future of their children on the pretence of ’love’.

“I do not see love in any affair that knowingly or carelessly produces children sentenced to a life of suffering. Such relationships are built on ignorance, greed and selfishness,” she said’
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