I know some Cambodian people in Australia. One girl has thalassemia major. To stay alive, she needs to go to hospital regularly for blood transfusions. She has a sister, who got married and had a child. That child was also born with thalassemia major, and needs to spend a lot of time in hospital getting blood transfusions. After that they had more children. Each time she became pregnant, she had a test done to see if the child would have thalassemia. With each child that would be born sick, she had an abortion. Those children which would be born healthy, she gave birth to. So the other children were born healthy.

People with thalassemia major in Cambodia, normally get sick and die while they are young. In many cases, the family does not know why they became sick and died.

Thalassemia is a genetic disorder. If one parent is a carrier, each child has a 50% chance of being a carrier, and 50% chance of not having it. If both parents are carriers, each child has a 25% chance of having thalassemia major, a 50% chance of being a carrier, and a 25% chance of not having it.

A lot of people in Cambodia are carriers. Most have not been tested, and dont know they have it. They may have had family members who have died young, but dont know why.

When anyone gets a girlfriend or wife in Cambodia, there is a real possibility they may get a girl who is a carrier of thalassemia.

Hypothetically, if I was to get a Cambodian wife, I would like to have her tested for thalassemia. I dont mind being tested myself, for anything which may be harmful to future children. If she had thalassemia, my first option would be to not to have children. If she insisted on having children, I would consider the option of getting tested soon after conception, and aborting any with thalassemia. Another option would be to use IVF, where they only implant healthy cells. I dont like the idea of bringing children into the world with anything which would may make their life, or their descendants lives difficult.

Most Cambodians have not been tested for thalassemia. In the future, as education improves, and the country becomes better off, testing and education about thalassemia should occur. There are some countries with programs to minimize thalassemia.

Does anyone know of places which test for thalassemia?

Try Voice.

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explorer wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:15 am When anyone gets a girlfriend or wife in Cambodia, there is a real possibility they may get a girl who is a carrier of thalassemia.

Hypothetically, if I was to get a Cambodian wife, I would like to have her tested for thalassemia.

Is there any proof the disease is more common in Cambodia than in the rest of the world? I don't think so. Type B is more common in Asians and Southern Europeans but afaik there's no proof of the disease as a whole being more common here than in the West.
Also note in over 50% of the cases thalassemia can be diagnosed from (deformed bones in) the face.

Why test for this specific genetic disorder, and not for other genetic disorders?

And why not check for HIV or Syphilis, much more common than thalassemia in Cambodia and no visual clues.

The Prevalence and Molecular Basis of Hemoglobinopathies in Cambodia

Blood counts, hemoglobin (Hb) high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and DNA analyses were performed on 260 children, aged 5 months to 16 years, at Siem Reap to assess the prevalence of thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies in regional Cambodia. Hemoglobinopathies were present in 134 children (51.5%) with 20 abnormal genotypes identified. alpha-Thalassemia (thal) (35.4%) was the most prevalent disorder and the -alpha3.7 gene deletion was the most common alpha-globin gene abnormality.
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... n_Cambodia

THALASSEMIA IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: PROBLEMS AND STRATEGY FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL Suthat Fucharoen and Pranee Winichagoon

In Southeast Asia a-thalassemia, ~-thalassemia, hemoglobin (Hb) E and Hb Constant Spring are prevalent. The gene frequencies of a -thalassemia reach 30-40'X, in Northern Thailand and Laos. J3-Thalassemia gene frequencies vary between I and 9%. Hb E is the hallmark of Southeast Asia attaining a frequency of 50-60% at the junction of Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. Hb Constant Spring gene frequencies vary between I and 8%. These abnormal genes in different combinations lead to over 60 different thalassemia syndromes. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0df0/6 ... 2836f4.pdf

Effect of health education on severe thalassemia prevention and control in communities in Cambodia

Severe thalassemia diseases are a major health problem in Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, there has never been a significant program for prevention or control of severe thalassemia. We, therefore, studied the effect of a health education program on severe thalassemia prevention and control in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
https://archpublichealth.biomedcentral. ... 018-0259-3

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:32 am Is there any proof the disease is more common in Cambodia than in the rest of the world? I don't think so. Type B is more common in Asians and Southern Europeans but afaik there's no proof of the disease as a whole being more common here than in the West.

Thalassemia is much more common in tropical areas. For example, it is also common in Greece.

Thalassemia is much less common in cooler areas of the world. However, with migration of people to many different countries, there are now some people with Thalassemia in most parts of the world.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:32 am Why test for this specific genetic disorder, and not for other genetic disorders?

I agree. However, we know Thalassemia is common in Cambodia, so there is a possibility a potential partner may have it.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:32 am And why not check for HIV or Syphilis, much more common than thalassemia in Cambodia and no visual clues.

I believe thalassemia is much more common.

Yes, you could perform tests for all.

I would not consider having a prostitute for a girlfriend or wife. The likelihood of HIV or Syphilis would be much lower for good girls.

As far as I know there has not been widespread testing in Cambodia. But there has been sample testing. In the example quoted below, 51.5% had some type of abnormality. Other sample tests have found similar results. They have indicated that in Northern Cambodia, over 50% of people are affected.

Kuroneko wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 10:50 am Blood counts, hemoglobin (Hb) high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and DNA analyses were performed on 260 children, aged 5 months to 16 years, at Siem Reap to assess the prevalence of thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies in regional Cambodia. Hemoglobinopathies were present in 134 children (51.5%) with 20 abnormal genotypes identified.

explorer wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:59 pm

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:32 am Is there any proof the disease is more common in Cambodia than in the rest of the world? I don't think so. Type B is more common in Asians and Southern Europeans but afaik there's no proof of the disease as a whole being more common here than in the West.

Thalassemia is much more common in tropical areas. For example, it is also common in Greece.

Thalassemia is much less common in cooler areas of the world. However, with migration of people to many different countries, there are now some people with Thalassemia in most parts of the world.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:32 am Why test for this specific genetic disorder, and not for other genetic disorders?

I agree. However, we know Thalassemia is common in Cambodia, so there is a possibility a potential partner may have it.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:32 am And why not check for HIV or Syphilis, much more common than thalassemia in Cambodia and no visual clues.

I believe thalassemia is much more common.

Yes, you could perform tests for all.

I would not consider having a prostitute for a girlfriend or wife. The likelihood of HIV or Syphilis would be much lower for good girls.

As far as I know there has not been widespread testing in Cambodia. But there has been sample testing. In the example quoted below, 51.5% had some type of abnormality. Other sample tests have found similar results. They have indicated that in Northern Cambodia, over 50% of people are affected.

Kuroneko wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 10:50 am Blood counts, hemoglobin (Hb) high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and DNA analyses were performed on 260 children, aged 5 months to 16 years, at Siem Reap to assess the prevalence of thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies in regional Cambodia. Hemoglobinopathies were present in 134 children (51.5%) with 20 abnormal genotypes identified.

I can't say I agree with you on that part, HIV is not just for hookers as you suggest it is not discriminatory nor judgemental. I know of at least three "good girls" as you put it that is infected and did not engage in high-risk behaviour. One in her late 50's. I further believe depression/suicide takes more lives in KOW, according to the CDC it is the 10th largest cause of death and responsible for 3% of all deaths in Cambodia. Will you have your prospective bride tested psychologically as well?

So if you look at the practical reality. If you get a wife from Northern Cambodia, there is approximately 50% chance she has some form of Thalassemia gene abnormality. If you the husband dont have it, there is a 50% chance each of your children will inherit it. If the children with it marry someone else who is a carrier, some of their children may be born with thalassemia major, and die young, or need to spend a lot of money on medical bills.

With conditions like Thalassemia, a child with it may be sick for years, and put a huge amount of financial stress on the family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU1JieKHrV0

explorer wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2019 7:32 pm So if you look at the practical reality. If you get a wife from Northern Cambodia, there is approximately 50% chance she has some form of Thalassemia gene abnormality. If you the husband dont have it, there is a 50% chance each of your children will inherit it. If the children with it marry someone else who is a carrier, some of their children may be born with thalassemia major, and die young, or need to spend a lot of money on medical bills.

With conditions like Thalassemia, a child with it may be sick for years, and put a huge amount of financial stress on the family.

Hemoglobinopathy is not the same as thalassemia.

<edit>There's not a 50% prevalence of Thalassemia among Cambodian women.

@Kuroneko mentioned a study with 51.5% of the children in the study having some form of Hemoglobinopathy. That's very different. Very few people suffering from Hemoglobinopathy will develop a disease like thalassemia.</edit>