Genetic engineering has entered Bangalore’s marriage market. No longer will prospective marriage partners seek knowledge from the stars… horoscopes, gotharams, panchaangams and so on… to determine if the baby will be bouncy and healthy. Instead couples will have to get ready to reveal the secrets of their genes.
“In future, prospective couples need to be matched with their blood groups, not by their horoscopes,” says B Rajendra of Kaakateeya Matrimonial Wing. His centre in Basaveshwarnagar provides the additional option of ‘genetic tests’ to would-be brides and grooms. “It’s an option that people can go for, but not compulsory.”
Tests will be conducted by renown geneticist Dr Sreedevi Hegde at Manipal Hospital. “She will take samples of blood from both the prospective bride and groom, culture it and do the ‘Karyo typing’ that will show clearly if either of them are carrying silent ‘recessive’ genes that might express themselves in their children or grandchildren. The worst case scenario would be children born with Down’s Syndrome (mentally abnormal),” said A M S Sairam, a medical consultant at Kaakateeya.
According to Rajendra, health, in many ways, will determine the compatibility of marriage partners in the new millennium. “Health will play a key role in the person’s choice of partner A person who is healthy, minus HIV, cancer, raised or lowered blood sugar levels, etc. will be preferred over a person earning a six figure salary but with an ongoing health problem like diabetes.”
Dr Hegde agreed, “In future, genetic blue print of the person will decide whether he is marriageable or not. It will list down common genetic disorders. A screening panel checks out if he is all right or not.”
According to Hegde, genetic disorders are largely due to chromosomal abnormality. “Genetic counselling comes in whenever there is a family history of genetic disorders like handicapped children, infertility, cancer, heart defects, muscular dystrophy, high myopia, diabetes, hypertension. All of us carry 20 abnormal genes, out of that 4 are recessive genes. If the marriage is between two people carrying the same affected gene pool, like uncle and niece, the risk of disability is increased.”
Hegde said that genetic tests are followed up with premarital genetic counselling. “We conduct genetic tests and give total genetic counselling to the couples. We tell them how much risk is involved in marrying someone with a family history of diabetes, hypertension or cancer. Whether it can be prevented or not. We look for any familial disorder, conduct studies on the nature and consequences of it, do the diagnosis, prognosis and determine whether it will recur or not. If the risks are low, we advise people that they can marry with certain precautionary measures. But if the risks are high, we let them decide,” said Dr Hegde who holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from Bangalore University and has done 10 years of research on the subject. “Some girls come to me when they don’t conceive. They would not have attained menarchy, This is a chromosomal abnormality. We prescribe hormone injections to make them produce children.”
Hegde maintains that only those people who have had a family history of an abnormality like mental retardation. childlessness, abortions or are marrying a person within the family, need come to her for genetic tests. “It happens a lot in South India. People marry their maternal and paternal uncles or nephews and nieces. I get about 6-8 such cases a day. There are hundreds of genetic disorders for which different kinds of tests are needed. If we can’t do them here, we send it abroad.”
Genetics aside, Kaakateeya has also gone cyber-savvy. Its data base of 3000 prospective brides and grooms is already up on the net (www.kaakateeya.com). Most of their overseas clients are NRIs from the USA. “We put up the entire biodata of the girl or boy’s, minus their contact number and address,” said Rajendra. The biodata also includes details like, the ‘property share’ of the girl or boy and, his ‘requirements’. The marriage resume of a sub editor at a leading daily read, “Property share: Rs 25 lakhs + gold. Requirements: ME/BE/Ph.D/MBBS/GRADUATE/ Well settled in business.”
Bangalore is gearing up for the new millennium in many ways, and marriage is one of them. But whether Bangaloreans are willing to open themselves up genetically, remains to be seen.
P.S: No wonder, they have 27 branches in major Indian cities