Fertility Concerns and Access to Care for Stem Cell Transplant Candidates with Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common monogenic disorder, affecting approximately 100,000 Americans, primarily those of African and Afrocaribbean descent [1]. SCD patients confront decreased life expectancy (42 for men, 48 for women [2,3]), and severely impaired quality of life [1]. In addition to the symptoms of anemia and pain crises, SCD patients struggle with a variety of effects of their illness. Because of the high frequency of pre-pubertal mortality in the past, fertility had not been an area of focus in this population until fairly recently [4].
Source: Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation - Category: Hematology Authors: Source Type: research