Transition with SCD - Sickle Cell Awareness Month 2019

The healthcare needs of teenagers and young adults with SCD will change as they age and become independent. Find resources to help prepare for this important time in a teen’s life, known as transition.

This week, we’re sharing resources to help young adults with SCD and parents/caregivers of a child with SCD prepare for transition successfully. As young adults with SCD gain more independence from their parents, the responsibility of managing their own health transfers to them. This process is known as transition. During transition, young adults with SCD will learn to become more responsible for their own health and healthcare needs, while also transferring their healthcare from a pediatric doctor (a doctor who treats children) to a doctor who treats adults. 

For young adults with SCD, it can be challenging to take on the responsibility of managing their health while also juggling new responsibilities that come with starting college, moving to a new location, and/or starting a job. Learning to manage their health during transition is important to stay healthy. 

Find resources to help prepare for transition

Preparing for transition can make it more likely that teens and young adults with SCD will have more success managing their health and healthcare needs. Use these resources to learn more about transition, and share them with friends and family to help support young adults with SCD! 

1. CDC Feature: Taking Charge of Your Health and Health Care Read a past CDC feature about transitioning with SCD to learn more about transition and find tips on how young adults with SCD can prepare for transition.

2. Stepping Up: A 2-Part Video Series for Teenagers & Young Adults with SCD Watch Kevin and Calvanay, two young adults with SCD, share their thoughts about transition, how it has affected them, and how they’ve overcome challenges. Watch their videos here. Spanish transcripts are available online.

3. Fact Sheet: 9 Tips to Living Well with SCD in College College can be a fun and exciting time, but it can also be a time when young adults with SCD find it difficult to manage their condition while adjusting to a new environment. Read this fact sheet to learn 9 tips college students with SCD can follow to help stay healthy, mentally and physically, so they can enjoy their college experience.

4. Mikeia’s and Fatimah’s Personal Stories  Mikeia and Fatimah, both young adults with SCD, share what it was like growing up with SCD, and how they learned to manage their condition when they left home for college. “I knew there were a lot of things I could do to help myself stay healthy. I didn’t want to end up in the hospital and miss class …” Read Mikeia’s full story about how she managed her doctor’s appointments, prepared herself for emergencies, and prioritized her health to stay healthy in college. “It was the first time I went to a doctor by myself, and it was in a different country, too. They didn’t speak English …” Read Fatimah’s full story to learn how she managed her condition while she studied abroad for a semester in Italy during college.