Help Spread Awareness About the Many Faces of Sickle Cell Disease!

Help Spread Awareness About the Many Faces of Sickle Cell Disease!

Did you know that sickle cell disease (SCD) affects millions of people throughout the world? Although SCD is most common among African Americans in the United States, it can also affect Hispanics and people whose ancestors come from countries in South Asia (such as India), southern Europe (such as Greece and Italy), and the Middle East (such as Saudi Arabia and Lebanon).

It's important for healthcare providers, community workers, policy makers, and other SCD supporters to know that SCD affects diverse groups so that all people with SCD can be properly diagnosed and treated. CDC is sharing new resources to help spread awareness about the many faces of SCD. 

“Sickle Cell Has Many Faces” Videos

Watch people with SCD of diverse backgrounds share that SCD can affect anyone, no matter what you look like or where your family comes from:

• “Sickle Cell Has Many Faces.” (for a general audience)
• “A Message for Healthcare Providers: Sickle Cell Has Many Faces.”

Mimi’s Story Although Mimi’s medical history is similar to that of many individuals with SCD, her inherited blood disorder comes as a surprise to many healthcare providers when they first meet her because of one detail: she’s not African American. Throughout her life, healthcare providers have doubted Mimi when she told them she had SCD. This has caused delays in Mimi getting the treatment she needs. “I’ll have to wait for the blood work to come back for them to help me with anything. I’ll have to wait several hours in the emergency room for any sort of pain relief.” Read her full story here.

SCD Resources Available in Different Languages In addition to English, CDC has developed Spanish and French resources to expand knowledge of 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. Share these resources with your family, friends, and colleagues! Want to learn more about SCD? Visit our SCD website. For more health information and resources for diverse groups, visit the Office of Minority Health website. For the latest updates and resources, follow us on Twitter @CDC_NCBDDD.