Marriages rise 20pc since axing of health checks

The number of registered marriages on the mainland has increased 20 per cent since the abolition of mandatory health checks for couples before they are allowed to tie the knot.

The checkup requirement was scrapped in October, but a number of NPC deputies in the health sector expressed concerns over the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Li Dingguo, an NPC deputy from the Yangpu district of Shanghai, said district medical authorities had recorded no cases of syphilis since October.

Describing it as a 'shocking change', Mr Li attributed the disease's disappearance to the axing of the health check requirement.

Of every 100,000 people having pre-marriage health checks in Yangpu district, an average of 260 a year were found with syphilis between 1988 and last year, peaking at 840 in 2001.

Noting that newlyweds had a higher risk of spreading sexually transmitted diseases, Mr Li said the government should reconsider its policy of sparing new couples the medical check.