Sickle cell anemia is a genetic condition much more common among Black people in the United States. Although it affects all races the same, Black people may face unique challenges due to disparities in the healthcare system.
Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a genetic condition that affects your red blood cells. Although SCA can affect anyone, Black people are at a higher risk for this disease.
SCA belongs to a group of conditions called sickle cell disease (SCD). If you have SCD, there is a mutation in one of your genes — specifically, one that provides instructions on how to make the protein called hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin is one of the key components of your red blood cells. It’s responsible for capturing oxygen, which red blood cells deliver to all tissues and organs in your body. A mutation in hemoglobin makes red blood cells less effective in capturing and delivering oxygen.
If you have SCA, both copies of your hemoglobin gene carry a mutation. If only one copy is affected, you have a less severe condition called sickle cell trait (SCT).
This article will answer common questions about the unique features of SCA in Black people.
Symptoms of sickle cell anemia
Symptoms of SCA usually begin in early childhood. They include:
- extreme fatigue or fussiness (in babies) caused by anemia
- yellowing of the skin (jaundice)
- painful swelling of the hands and feet (dactylitis)
- frequent infections
Anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, can inherit hemoglobin mutations causing SCA. However, SCA is more common among those whose ancestors come from:
- sub-Saharan Africa
- Central and South America
- South Asia
- the Middle East
In the United States, about
There are no reliable statistics for how many Black people are affected by SCA outside the United States. We do know that about 300,000 babies are born every year with this condition globally.
Black people are at a much higher risk for mutations in the hemoglobin gene responsible for SCA. Researchers believe the reason lies in how this condition has evolved.
Over time, sickle cell conditions have evolved to protect against malaria, a parasitic infection spread by mosquito bites. Malaria is common in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world that also have a high prevalence of sickle cell. Having SCT — but not SCA — helps reduce the severity of malaria.
SCA has the same symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and complications in all races and ethnicities. But this doesn’t mean Black people have the same experiences dealing with this condition as white people.
The main reason for these differences doesn’t stem from the biology of this condition — it stems from racial biases that persist in the healthcare system.
For example:
- Black people with SCA wait 25% longer than other emergency patients before receiving care, according to a
2013 study . - Black people are 22% less likely than white people to receive necessary pain medications, according to a 2012 review of studies.
- Many Black people with SCA experience stigma, according to a
2017 study .
It is possible to pass SCA down to your children, even if neither of the parents has symptoms.
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| Both parents have SCT (no symptoms) | • 1 in 4 chance that child will have SCA • 1 in 2 chance that child will have SCT |
| One parent has SCA and One parent has SCT | • 1 in 2 chance that child will have SCA • 1 in 2 chance that child will have SCT |
| One parent has SCA and One parent is unaffected | • No children will have SCA • All children will have SCT |
| One parent has SCT and One parent is unaffected | • No children will have SCA • 1 in 2 chance that child will have SCT |
If you suspect you might have SCT based on your family history, a
In the United States, this is usually a routine part of
People with SCT usually don’t have any symptoms. In very
People with SCT are also more likely to experience heat stroke and muscle breakdown during intense exercise. This can affect you if you participate in competitive or team sports. But you can reduce the chances of these problems by drinking enough water and preventing overheating.
SCA is a condition that affects your red blood cells. It’s more common in Black people, which is related to the evolution of the disease in parts of the world that have malaria.
While SCA affects all races and ethnicities in the same way, Black people may face challenges navigating this condition due to racial disparities in the healthcare system.