 SCD (Sickle Cell Disease) is a life-threatening,
recessively inherited blood disorder that affects
the functions of a red blood cell, symptoms
include; organ damage, leg ulcers, and severe
fatigue.
 People who possess two mutated codes for the
creation of hemoglobin molecule have red
blood cells in the shape of a sickle when
exposed to low oxygen levels.
 People with Sickle Cell Anemia don’t have
normal red blood cells
 A child who inherits the sickle cell trait from
both parents (a 25 percent possibility if both
parents are carriers) will develop sickle cell
anemia.
 Millions of people worldwide carry the SCD trait
 Affects primarily those of West African and
African Caribbean descent
 Eight percent of black Americans, or 1 in 12,
carry a gene for sickle hemoglobin
 More than 2 million in the United States
carry the trait
 Sickle Cell Anemia affects 1 in 400-500
African Americans
 1 in 400 black newborns in the United
States has sickle cell anemia
 Sickle cell disease has not as much attention
in the medical community
 African Americans neglect their health
 African Americans are not included in SCD
studies and are not advocating for
themselves
 Black communities are often living
unhealthy lifestyles
 African Americans don’t donate blood to
help other with SCD treatment
 African Americans have more difficulty
finding blood matches
 African Americans do not get tested before
marriage to see if they are carrying the trait
 Scientists have discovered a new drug
called hydroxyurea that has the ability to
reduce pain and hospitalization, many do
not know of it
 Sickle cell Anemia is 1-44% prevalent in India
 Western India has a high prevalence of sickle
cell and different variations of the disease
 First reported in India in a Southern Indian tribal
population
 Hospital based mass screening programs in
central India were used to find prevalence of
SCD
 Traced SCD mutations to specific tribal
populations isolated throughout India
 Present in caste populations that are of high
frequency
 Taken very seriously by the people and the
Indian government
 Clinical studies have been drawn on mutations
from a variety of ages
 Clinical studies are being done in each district
 Scientists are taking note of every mutation of
the disease
 Peasant families with SCD are not likely to be
married
 Before many couples marry in India, SCD is
taken into consideration
 In India, the majority of the population is made
up of peasants

(Burnes, Antle, Williams & Cook, 2008)

(Skoda, 2007)

(Segal, 1989)

(Bennett, 2008)

Wakhisi, T. D. (n.d). Diseases on the rise in the black community. Crisis (00111422), 101(8), 22.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Reyes, D. (n.d). Blood Donation: The Gift of Life. Crisis (15591573), 112(4), 14. Retrieved from
EBSCOhost.

Colah, R., Ghosh, K., Gorakshakar, A., Mohanty, D., Mukherjee, M., & Nadkarni, A. (2010).
Clinical, hematologic and molecular variability of sickle cell-[beta] thalassemia in western India.
Indian Journal of Human Genetics, 16(3), 154. Retrieved from
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
CHANDAK, G. R., NIRANJAN, Y., SINGH, L., & VEERRAJU, P. (1999). Some Atypical and Rare Sickle
Cell Gene Haplotypes in Populations of Andhra Pradesh, India. Human Biology, 71(3), 333.
Retrieved from
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45cf21a0d

Current Science (00113891), 4/25/2010, Vol. 98 Issue 8, p1096-1102, 7p, 4 Charts
Chart; found on p1101

American Biology Teacher, Sep2010, Vol. 72 Issue 7, p422-426, 5p, 1 Diagram
Diagram; found on p423

Anemia and blood cells. (2010). In Sick!. Gale. Retrieved from
http://ic.galegroup.com:80/ic/scic/ImagesDetailsPage/ImagesDetailsWindow?total=2&limiter=
&displayGroupName=Images&currPage=2&sortBy=relevance%2Cdescending&query=BS+Sickle+
cell+anemia&prodId=SCIC&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCV2210039570&us
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Sickle cell anemia. (2010). In K. L. Lerner & B. W. Lerner (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Science
(4th ed.). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from
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oupName=Images&currPage=1&query=&action=2&catId=GALE%7CAAA000056482&documentI
d=GALE%7CCV2210078849&userGroupName=germ38587&jsid=17d276505fbfaf39b2556e301b
23bcd7