Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder in which red blood cells become abnormally shaped, impacting their ability to function correctly and resulting in painful and damaging blood clots.

Some common facts about sickle cell disease:

• Sickle cell disease is a group of related disorders that affects red blood cells
• Sickle cell disease is an inherited genetic disorder, which means that it is passed from mothers and fathers to their children
• Two parents with sickle cell trait have a 25 percent chance of having a child with sickle cell disease with each pregnancy
• One in 10 African Americans has sickle cell trait
• Sickle cell trait is not a disease; individuals with the trait are carriers and possess the potential to pass on the abnormal sickle gene to their children
• Approximately one in 400 African Americans is born with sickle cell disease
• Approximately 70,000 people in the U.S. have sickle cell disease
• Genetic disorders are found in all races of people
• Children of any race may be born with sickle cell disease, however, in the U.S. it is more common among African Americans
• A simple blood test called hemoglobin electrophoresis can detect the presence of sickle cell and other abnormal hemoglobins