Why blood test before a marriage license?

[mangeorge]

Back in the day, most states required one. What did they test for?
Peace,
mangeorge

[Arjuna34]

The master speaks:

What is the purpose of premarital blood testing?

[aldiboronti]

A quick rundown from Yahoo Answers

............... many of the state blood test laws came about during the 1930s, before penicillin and antibiotics. At the time, syphilis was considered a significant public health hazard.

While this legal concept may seem somewhat outdated today, the U.S. Marriage Laws currently lists eight states (including your home state of Georgia) that require blood tests. In those states, the state clerk cannot issue a marriage license until the blood test results have been presented.

So a "blood test" is a way to check for sexually transmitted diseases, most often syphilis. However, the tests can also be used to check for rubella and sickle-cell anemia. The Mississippi State Department of Health openly acknowledges this, while also stating that they do not test for HIV or any other STDs unless the patient chooses.

Beaten to it by Arjuna34 with a far better source!

[mks57]

Syphilis.

[WhyNot]

Syphilis, according to my mom (Illinois, 1968ish). Looks like until recently, rubella in Montana. Apparently also some genetic markers in some states.

[Mycroft H.]

I remember years ago being told by someone that it was done to test for Rh factor (as covered by the second part of the link to Cecil’s report). I can only assume now that this was told to me because syphilis was too embarrassing to talk about or whoever the long forgotten person was didn’t know what they were talking about. Very interesting. This is one of the many reasons I love this Board.

[Avarie537]

In Indiana, it's to test for rubella antibodies.