Diversity in Sickle Cell Disease - Sickle Cell Awareness Month 2019

SCD has many faces. Although more common  among African Americans and Hispanic Americans,  SCD affects people of different racial and ethnic  groups around the world.

This week, we’re raising awareness about diversity in SCD. Diversity refers to differences among groups of people or individuals based on things like race and ethnicity. Other differences include socioeconomic status, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. Although SCD is most common among African Americans in the United States, SCD affects many different groups of people. In the United States and worldwide, SCD is common among those whose ancestors came from sub-Saharan Africa; Spanish-speaking regions in the Western hemisphere such as South America, the Caribbean, and Central America; Saudi Arabia; India; and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

It's important for healthcare providers, community workers, policy makers, and other advocates of SCD to know that SCD affects diverse groups so that all people with SCD can be properly diagnosed and receive treatment for SCD.

Find information and resources about SCD in different languages

In addition to English, CDC has developed Spanish and French resources to help share information about SCD widely. Share these resources with friends, family members, and colleagues to help non-English speakers learn more about SCD. 

• CDC’s SCD Spanish website. Learn about SCD and find resources in Spanish.

• Sickle Cell Trait Toolkit. Find a collection of fact sheets covering various health problems affecting people with sickle cell trait. English, Spanish, and French versions are available.

• Stepping Up: A 2-part video series about transition. Kevin and Calvanay, two young adults with SCD, share their experience transitioning to adult care and how they’ve overcome challenges related to transitioning with SCD. Spanish transcripts of the videos are available online.

For more health information and resources for diverse groups, visit the Office of Minority Health website.

NEW! Sickle Cell Disease: Give Blood, Save a Life Podcast 

This new CDC podcast highlights the importance of blood donations from African Americans to help people with sickle cell disease who might need one or more blood transfusions. Access the podcast here

NEW! Are you a caregiver of a loved one with SCD?
Read our new CDC feature about caregivers of people with SCD. We interviewed caregivers of young adults with SCD to learn more about their role as a caregiver, how SCD has affected their life, the struggles and challenges they face as caregivers, and how they overcome challenges to keep their family safe and healthy.