As young Christians prepare for marriage, love, faith and character should not be the only considerations guiding their choice of a life partner. Intending couples should also pay attention to their genotype and seek appropriate medical and genetic counselling before making a lifelong commitment.
This was the central message of a presentation titled “Your Genotype, Your Family: The Place of Genetic Compatibility in Christian Marital Choice,” delivered by Joshua Adebayo Adesina, Ministerial Officer in the Social Ministries Department of the Nigerian Baptist Convention.
Speaking at the 52nd Annual Session of the Nigerian Baptist Convention Youth Conference (NBCYC), Adesina noted that while intending couples commonly consider spiritual compatibility, character, family values, educational background, financial stability, personality and age, the medical and genetic compatibility of partners is often overlooked.
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He warned that such oversight can have serious consequences, particularly in relation to sickle cell disease (SCD), which remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria.
Faith and medical knowledge
Adesina challenged the misconception that relying on faith means ignoring medical facts.
Drawing from Proverbs 24:3 and Luke 14:28–30, he argued that the Christian faith encourages wisdom, careful planning and responsible decision-making. Biblical faith, he explained, should not be interpreted as a reason to disregard established medical realities or expect miraculous exemption from predictable genetic inheritance.
According to him, faith and wisdom are complementary rather than contradictory. Genuine Christian love, he added, should consider not only present emotional happiness but also the long-term wellbeing of spouses, children and the wider family.
Adesina further linked genotype awareness to responsible Christian discipleship, arguing that being informed about one’s health and genetic status enables individuals to make responsible marital decisions and help protect future generations from avoidable suffering.
Understanding genotype and sickle cell disease
Adesina explained that genotype refers to the genetic combination inherited from an individual’s parents. Common haemoglobin genotypes include AA, AS and SS, alongside other combinations such as AC, SC, CC, SD and Sβ-thalassaemia.
An individual with AS carries the sickle cell trait and can pass the relevant gene to their children, while an individual with SS has sickle cell disease.
He highlighted the importance of understanding the probabilities involved in inheritance. When two people with an AS genotype have a child, each pregnancy carries a 25 per cent chance of AA, a 50 per cent chance of AS and a 25 per cent chance of SS.
Importantly, these percentages apply independently to each pregnancy. They are not a fixed quota for an entire family. A couple could therefore have more than one child with sickle cell disease, none, or a combination of children with different genotypes.
This, Adesina said, makes knowing one’s genotype before marriage an important aspect of informed decision-making.
The wider impact of sickle cell disease
Adesina described sickle cell disease as one of the world’s significant inherited blood disorders and noted Nigeria’s particularly heavy burden.
He cited estimates that approximately 20–30 per cent of Nigerians carry the sickle cell trait, while about 150,000 babies are born annually with sickle cell disease, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
Beyond its medical implications, he noted that sickle cell disease can affect virtually every aspect of family life, including children’s education, household finances, parents’ emotional wellbeing and the ability of family members to participate fully in work, church and community activities.
Children living with the condition may experience painful crises, severe anaemia, infections, delayed growth, stroke, kidney complications, acute chest syndrome and damage to other organs. Long-term management may require regular medication, hospital visits, blood transfusions and specialist care.
Families may also face significant emotional pressure. Parents and caregivers can experience anxiety, guilt, helplessness and emotional exhaustion, while siblings may sometimes receive less parental attention because of the intensive care required by an affected child.
The costs associated with investigations, medication, hospital admissions, specialist consultations, blood transfusions, transportation and nutritional support can also place considerable pressure on households, particularly where healthcare expenses are largely paid out of pocket.
The burden may further affect marriages, with prolonged caregiving responsibilities potentially contributing to disagreements over treatment, finances, family planning and caregiving duties.
Genotype testing is about informed choice, not discrimination
Adesina emphasised that considering genotype compatibility should not be viewed as discrimination or as placing medical considerations above love.
Rather, he argued that knowing one’s genotype allows intending couples to make informed decisions about marriage and childbearing.
He maintained that choosing a marriage partner should involve both spiritual conviction and responsible decision-making. Responsible parenthood, he stressed, includes seeking the healthiest possible beginning for future children.
Adesina also warned against viewing genotype compatibility as an obstacle to love. Instead, he described informed decision-making as an expression of mature and sacrificial love because it takes into account the welfare of future generations.
When genotype risks are ignored, he noted, the consequences can become physical, psychological, financial, educational, social and marital.
Children affected by sickle cell disease may experience repeated school absences, potentially affecting academic performance and future opportunities. Parents may also have less time for work, church activities, community engagement and other responsibilities because of frequent hospital visits and caregiving.
Within the home, financial pressure, fatigue and emotional distress can affect communication and intimacy between couples.
Lessons from other countries
Adesina pointed to countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which have implemented various forms of premarital screening, genetic counselling and public education aimed at reducing inherited blood disorders.
He noted that such initiatives demonstrate how genetic screening can provide intending couples with information that helps them understand potential risks and make informed reproductive decisions.
Although Nigeria has made progress in genotype awareness, Adesina called for stronger and more coordinated efforts.
Among his recommendations were integrating genotype education into secondary and tertiary school curricula, expanding affordable or free testing services, particularly in rural and underserved communities, and strengthening collaboration among faith organisations, schools, healthcare institutions, government agencies and civil society organisations.
He also called for more comprehensive genetic counselling centres and stronger newborn screening programmes.
Adesina stressed that these interventions should not be left to government or healthcare professionals alone. Parents, young people, religious organisations, educational institutions and community leaders all have roles to play in creating a culture of informed marital decision-making.
Knowledge can help protect future generations
Adesina concluded that choosing a marriage partner requires more than emotional attachment. Love, character, faith and stability remain important, but knowledge of one’s genotype should also form part of responsible marital preparation.
For Christians, he argued, seeking medical knowledge and making informed decisions can be understood as part of responsible stewardship rather than a lack of faith.
As Nigeria continues to confront the burden of sickle cell disease, greater awareness, early genotype testing, premarital counselling and informed decision-making could help individuals and families better understand their reproductive choices.
Ultimately, Adesina’s message was simple but profound: love should be guided by knowledge. When intending couples understand their genotype and the possible implications for their future children, they are better positioned to make informed decisions that protect families, promote responsible parenthood and contribute to a healthier society.
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