The Empowerment of Deaf and Mute Females Students Regarding Premarital Screening and Genetic Counseling

Background: Pre-marital screening and Genetic counseling is a health promotion activity that helps to decrease the incidence of certain genetic disorders and sexually transmitted diseases. Aim: the current study aimed to empower deaf and mute female students regarding premarital screening and genetic counseling. Research design: Quasi-experimental research design (pre –posttest) used in the current study. Setting: The current study conducted at El Amal School for the deaf and mute in Fayoum-City-Egypt. Sample: Purposive sample was used in the current study consist of sixty four deaf and mute female students through first semester in academic year 2024-2025. Tools: two main tools were used; Tool 1: interviewing questionnaire is divided into two parts include personal characteristics of study sample and student’s knowledge regarding premarital screening and genetic counseling. Tool 2: Likert scale to assess deaf and mute female students attitude regarding premarital screening and genetic counseling. Results: Showed that, the majority (84.4%) of the deaf and mute female students had poor level of total knowledge at pre- educational sessions implementation compared to more than three quarters (79.7 %) of them had good level of total knowledge at post session. Moreover, more than two third (65.8%) of the deaf and mute female students had negative attitude regarding premarital screening and Genetic Counseling at pre- educational sessions compared to the majority (82.1 %) of them had positive attitude at post session. Conclusion: the study concluded that implementation of educational sessions had a significantly positive effect on the total knowledge and attitude scores of deaf and mute female students concerning premarital screening and genetic counseling Recommendation: Providing continuously health education programs about premarital screening and Genetic counseling at all deaf and mute schools to improve students’ awareness about pre-marital screening