A Survey of the Knowledge of and Attitude of University of Portharcourt (Nigeria) Undergraduates Towards Premarital Genetic Counselling in Relation to Sickle Cell Anaemia

Blessing O. Okperi¹, Mcgil Ugwu¹, Blaise Ebiringa Anyanwu² and Arierhire Okperi³

¹Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, P.O.Box 1737, Effurun, Delta State Nigeria.

²Faculty of Clinical Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Delta State Nigeria.

Corresponding Author E-mail:okperiaris@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: This descriptive study was carried out to survey the knowledge of and attitude towards premarital genetic counseling in relation to sickle cell disease of Uniport undergraduates. The study was carried out using random sampling method by means of an anonymous questionnaire. A total of 287 questionnaires were returned by respondents and subsequently analysed. 13 respondents either did not fill their questionnaires or else did not complete it according to the instructions and so could not be processed. A total of 197 males (73.2%) and 59 females (21.9%) were obtained with 12 students (0.3%) failing to indicate their sex and one being equivocal. 42.3% of respondents think of the disease as a killer disease like AIDS. 25.5% believes that the victim of the disease is someone who will be always sick while 1% think of the victim is an Abiku/Ogbanje of African traditional superstition. 4.2% gave no response as to what their opinion is about the nature of the disease while 27% gave an unacceptably equivocal opinion of it. 89.6% knew it was inherited from parents. 1.4% thought it is got from sexual intercourse and 1.7% thought it is got from contamination from close contact with a sickler. 2.8% thought it is got by other unspecified means. 73.8% had knowledge of the existence of premarital genetic counseling in relation to the disease but 7.3% were ignorant of it. While 18.9% gave no response. 70.9% were willing to undergo premarital counseling. 9.6% would not, 19.5% gave no response. 65% will not marry their would-be partners if their genotype is incompatible. 19.3% will marry for love despite incompatible genotype and 9.9% will marry believing God not to have an affected child and that God will heal any child if affected. 16.6% gave no response to this and 2.5% were equivocal in their response.

KEYWORDS: Sicle cell disease; Genotype; Genetic counselling

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