CHINA: The number of couples going through with the intrusive test has fallen by over half in the big cities, writes Clifford Coonan in Beijing
China's would-be brides and grooms are asking themselves some tough questions since the government relaxed laws requiring couples to have a full physical examination before getting married.
If your husband-to-be has a dodgy heart, an illness that could be passed on to your children or a sexually transmitted disease, do you want to know? Or if your fiancee is not of best breeding stock, would you still go ahead with the big, expensive, wedding feast?
It used to be that you couldn't get married without one and most are pleased Beijing scrapped the mandatory pre-marital tests, which involve much poking and prodding in areas not discussed in polite and prudish Chinese society.
The test is particularly intrusive for women. Many brides-to-be say they are comprehensive to the point of humiliation. "It is very embarrassing. I've even heard that women are sometimes treated rudely and it makes me nervous just thinking about it," says Ms Gao Ming, a Beijing bank worker who married this year.
The test, which costs 120 yuan (€11.77) for a woman and 65 yuan (€6.38) for a man, involves a routine health check, including height and weight, a laboratory test of blood and urine samples, a test of liver function, a check-up for sexually transmitted diseases and an AIDS test.
The number of couples going through with the test has fallen by over half in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai and is approaching zero in smaller cities and rural areas.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs says the number of people signing up to get married has risen 20 per cent since the new regulations were introduced but doctors across China say they are getting far fewer people in for the pre-nuptial check-up. There are 19 places to get the health check done in Beijing, which is a drop of 30 per cent since the law was introduced. One bride-to-be, Ms Juliet Ma, told the China Daily newspaper that she was not taking the test.
"Why should I? We have gone through too many tests and I see no reason for another one. Marriage is the celebration of dedicated love between two people. I have decided to marry him because I want to spend the rest of my life with him, no matter what will happen in the future," she said.
However, even people who dislike the idea of the test are going through with it and the Single Child Policy is one of the main reasons.
Couples are keen to make sure their reproductive systems are working properly because the vast majority of Chinese people are only allowed to have one child and want to ensure it is in the best physical shape.
"I will do the marriage test before my wedding this year. If a couple doesn't want to have a child, then I don't think they need to do the test. But I want a child. And to be responsible to the family and society, it is necessary to take the test," says Ms Zhang Pingping, who works at a foreign-owned law firm. "I'm sure it won't feel good but when you understand its importance it is not unbearable," says Ms Zhang.
"But many of my friends didn't take the test since it became no longer compulsory. They think it is unnecessary and the test offices just want to make money so the experts keep telling us about its importance. Maybe they have a point, but I don't want to take the risk," she says.
The rule changes were part of an overhaul of the marriage system in October, which made it easier for Chinese couples to marry, as they no longer had to ask their boss for permission. It also made divorce very easy, and speeded up the bureaucratic process.
In China's Internet chat rooms, the debate about the test is heated. "It is extremely unreasonable to ask poor peasant farmers to pay about 200 yuan (€19.63) to do the exam. They spend nearly all their savings to get married. All the doctors do is carelessly glance at your private parts, tell you you have a problem and say you can't get married. But hand him two packs of cigarettes, suddenly you are okay," said one.
Some health officials complain that fewer people taking the test could play havoc with government plans to cut infant mortality and disability rates.