Sickle cell anemia is a form of anemia whereby the body cannot produce enough healthy red blood cells to carry out the bodily functions. Normally, red blood cells are supposed to be in a concave shape. The concave shape makes the red blood cells flexible, and therefore they can be able to go through blood vessels and transport oxygen and hemoglobin to the rest of the body. However, in sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are in the shape of a crescent moon (hence the name sickle cell anemia). Furthermore, these blood cells become sticky and rigid, and these characteristics make it difficult for the red blood cells to move through blood vessels. Moreover, the sickle shape reduces the surface area present for the transportation of oxygen to major body organs and tissues.
Sickle cell anemia is inherited when both parents have a mutated sickle cell gene. When a mutation of red blood cells occurs, the body produces sickle-shaped red blood cells. The gene that causes this mutation is the sickle cell gene. The sickle cell gene is passed from parent to child. When only one parent is a carrier of the sickle cell gene, then the child will only inherit one gene, and as a result, the child will only become a carrier or have the sickle cell trait. The blood may have some traces of sickle-shaped red blood cells but nothing serious to cause anemia and complications. However, when both parents are carriers of the mutated sickle cell gene, then the child will be born with sickle cell anemia. Basically, in the USA, sickle cell anemia affects mostly the black population as compared to the white population (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2017).
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Sickle cell anemia is diagnosed very early in life, and most people suffer from it in infancy. It is unfortunate that the disease has no cure and most patients who have been diagnosed with it barely make it through adulthood. There are, however, drugs that can relieve the pain and prevent further complications. Regrettably, though there are drugs that calm the pain, the patients still experience bouts of pain called crises, swelling, and frequent infections. All these symptoms make it difficult for patients with sickle cell anemia to live their normal lives.
Research Hypothesis
Sickle cell anemia affects the Blacks more than the Whites because they do not take the necessary genetic tests before marriage.
Research Questions
Which segment of the population in the United States of America has the highest rates of sickle cell anemia?
What factors predispose this population to have higher rates of sickle cell anemia than the others?
What measures can be taken to reduce the high rates of sickle cell anemia in this population?
The Relevance of the Social Work
Sickle cell anemia is a disease without a cure, and therefore, in this case, prevention is the only way to protect people from suffering from its consequences. Patients with sickle cell anemia are often diagnosed with the disease during their infancy, and therefore they are expected to live their remaining lives with this fatal and excruciating disease. They often suffer episodes of pain, painful swelling of limbs and they become susceptible to various infections. With this in mind, this study sets to find which segment of the population is affected most by sickle cell anemia. This study will focus on finding why the black population has high rates of sickle cell anemia and how these rates can be reduced in this particular race. This study will be important for policy makers, social workers and health practitioners in promoting health and reproductive education for people in the childbearing age. Furthermore, the research will be relevant to people who are carriers of the sickle cell gene so that they can learn their options for getting a child.
Problem Statement
Sickle cell anemia affects millions of people all over the world. It mainly affects people with ancestors from Africa, Central America, Spanish speaking South America, Mediterranean countries, and sections of the Caribbean. In the USA, the condition is the commonest type of hereditary blood disorders. In total, the disorder affects about 100,000 people in the country. National statistics show that 1 out of every 356 African Americans suffer from the condition while only 1 in 16,300 Latin Americans has the disease. Additionally, 1 out of every 13 black babies in the country is born with the sickle cell trait. The number of white Americans who suffer from the condition is negligible (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). These statistics raise the question “Why do African Americans have such as high rate of sickle cell anemia compared to other populations?”
Purpose of the Study
This study will focus on finding out which segment of the population in the United States of America has the highest rates of sickle cell anemia. This study will also determine the factors that predispose this population to have higher rates of sickle cell anemia than the others. Finally, the research will discuss measures that can be taken to reduce the high rates of sickle cell anemia in this population.
Sickle cell anemia is a disease without a cure, and it is excruciating to live with. Those who are diagnosed with the condition barely get to live through their adulthood; most people with this disorder die before they reach 30 years. Due to these reasons, it is important for any group at risk for developing this condition to raise awareness and the necessary steps to be taken to prevent any more fatalities.
Nature of the Intended Study
This study will be both qualitative and quantitative. The study will collect quantitative data to stipulate which part of the population has the highest percentage of sickle cell anemia patients. Qualitative data will also be used in the comparison of sickle cell anemia rate both globally and locally in the country. Qualitative data in the study will be used to discuss the signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia, the causes of the condition and what preventive measures can be taken to reduce the spread of this disease among people.
References
U.S. National Library of Medicine, (2017). Sickle Cell Disease. Genetics Home Reference, US NLM. Retrieved on August 5, 2018, from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Sickle Cell Disease: Data and Statistics. CDC. Retrieved on August 5, 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/
