Wedding hopes of 46 Saudis were dashed when pre-marital tests during the last five months revealed that either they were HIV positive or were suffering from Hepatitis B and C. After adding the AIDS and Hepatitis B and C to the list of pre-marital tests conducted during the past five months it was found that 23 people were HIV positive, 897 suffered from Hepatitis B and 245 were found to have Hepatitis C, Dr. Khaled Ali Al-Zahrani, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health for Preventive Medicine said, Al-Hayat reported on Tuesday. He said the post-marital test program prohibits marrying of HIV positive people. The ministry doesn't interfere in cases of Hepatitis B and C, he added. Dr. Al-Zahrani said the law gives freedom of choice to those who fail the pre-marital tests to get treatment and again go through the tests. Those suffering from Hepatitis B and C are advised to be vaccinated and use contraceptives, he added. Dr. Muhammed Saeedi, Director of Healthy Marriage Program, said the additional tests are associated with one year-awareness program to enlighten the public about the importance of preventing hereditary diseases and congenital deformities. He said reports have shown that men and women are equally suffering from Hepatitis in the Kingdom but the percentage differs in those suffering from AIDS as they have revealed that 5 men to 1 woman are affected by the fatal disease. Dr. Saeedi said about one million people have undergone pre-marital tests since the beginning of the program and 53,000 people have been tested for AIDS and Hepatitis. __
