Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
The results for this research have been presented in a one primary division. In this division is the group of the pregnant females with sickle cell disease; this category describes the relevant population characteristics of the females informants who were interviewed coupled with their perceptions in regard to the disease. The perception considered in this study was in how the disease affects the working and school activities, the effects of the disease on the relationships between the respondent and others, the expectations of transitioning and the expectation of the future. Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
Pregnant Females with the Sickle Cell Disease
Demographic Characteristics
The population characteristics of 10 pregnant respondents with the disease who took part in the research are included in table 1.
Although the sickle cell disease mainly affects both gender equally, the current study concentrated on the pregnant females who are at the reproduction age. The respondents ranged in the age between 13 years and 55 years, although most of the respondents who completed the interview had an average of 25.4 years and slightly older females’ respondents as compared with younger respondents. Majority of the respondents n = 10 (100%) identified themselves African American. These percentages were almost the same as those of general demography of the disease in Mississippi, which is estimated to be 95% percent as African American, 3 % as Latino, 1% from multiracial while the reminder 1% from other races. All the interviews were carried out in English. Most of the interviewees n=8 (80%) stated that they at least knew something about the traits of sickle cell disease; they did know either the traits of hemoglobin, sickle cell anemia. Most of the respondent associated the disease with its possibility of being passed from parents to child genetically, while the n=2 (20%) of the respondents were not aware of the kind of disease they had.Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
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From the respondents, all respondents were African American where, n=9 (90%) of them were single, while only one respondent was married. Those who had less than high school level of education up to high school were n=6 (60%). The low levels of education seem to be significant since almost two third of the respondents had gone up to high school, and only 20% of the population of the respondent indicated a higher level of education up to four years in college. The above low levels of educations among the African American can be attributed to the economic status, since all the respondents n=10 (100%) indicated their earning to be less than $50,000 per annum. More than two third of the respondent were either unemployed or, they were still in college. From the table 1, 50% of the respondent had no formal employment as compared to 30 percent of the respondent who indicated that they were in formal education it is only 10 percent of them who were in college, while n=1 (10%) declined to respond to the question regarding occupation status. In connection to the religious affiliation, n=8 (80%) of the respondent indicated to be affiliated to religions, where majority of them were Christian, 20 percent of the respondent did not any affiliation to religion. Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
Other researches have been conducted on the prevalence of the sickle cell disease among African American. According to result obtained in one of the researches, SCD is believed to be affecting 1 out of 500 African American individuals at birth. It is further estimated that there are more than 50,000 African Americans who have the sickle cell traits or the sickle cell disease. The sickle cell disease is believed to be as a result of genetic disorder that affect the individual’s hemoglobin a result that might have deleterious outcomes on a the life of an individual.
The sub-theme, on the respondent’s level of knowledge concerning the sickle cell disease. The level of information regarding the awareness of characteristics of the sickle cell differs significantly among the African American females who respondent to this question; there was approximately a fifth of the respondents who claimed that there had vague knowledge concerning the traits of the condition. On the other hand, n=8 (80 percent) of the respondent portrayed some knowledge concerning the traits, where majority associated the condition to genes and give an explanation on who these traits could be passed from mother to the unborn baby through genes (genetically acquired traits). Among the respondent, who indicated to have some levels of knowledge regarding the condition (sickle cell) traits, they had obtained this information from the medical professional as one of the respondents indicated during the interview:Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
Q. Tell me what you know about sickle cell trait.
Participant: Well actually I just found out a little while back about this … I had a lack of knowledge about it …but uh…I do know that having the sickle cell trait…I am a carrier and I can pass this down … so I do know that I am a carrier and I have to be aware of that I am a carrier.
Q. You say you just found out about this….What do you mean by that?
Participant: When I got pregnant, they tested me for sickle cell and told me I had sickle cell trait.
You say “they” tested you for sickle cell trait…Who is they?
Participant: My doctor
For those respondents who associated the traits to the genes and the possibilities of passing these genes to their unborn babies they had the following to say:
Participant 002
- Tell me what you know about sickle cell trait.
Participant: If the mother has it, she may be able to pass it on to her partner or her baby.
Participant 003
- Tell me what you know about sickle cell trait.
Participant: The trait is not the whole disease. It’s just you know….your just a carrier of the trait…If you were to meet someone with the trait also there is a fifty percent chance you will have a baby with the full blown sickle cell disease.
On the other hand, there were some respondents who felt that they knew little about sickle cell trait or the idea they had been not quite related to the characteristics of the condition. The individuals in this category were only 20% percent of the participants. The two responses that they gave are highlighted below.Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
Participant: 001
Q. Tell me what you know about sickle cell trait.
Participant: nothing.
Do you have sickle cell trait
Participant: yes
You don’t know anything about it?
I just know my baby may get sickle cell.
Theme on the knowledge about the characteristics of the sickle cell condition seems to be well understood among the respondent with n=10 (100%) of the participant having substantial knowledge about the genetic acquisition of the condition which could happen to the unborn babies in respect to the respondents. Looking into the responses for the second theme regarding the knowledge pertaining the sickle cell disease
From the question, n=3 (30 percent) of the respondents attributed the disease to the genes, stating that the disease could be genetically acquired. For example, in response to the question number 2 the respondent 004 had the following to say:
Q. Tell me what you know about sickle cell disease.
Participant: Sickle cell disease…um…if I am correct….um…. it’s when the person with the sickle cell trait ….say for instance right now, I am pregnant, and my child, if my partner has sickle cell trait, and I have the sickle cell trait, then we can pass that on to my child to have the sickle cell disease …isn’t that when both parents can pass it to the child.
That is correct.
There are other respondents n=2 (20 percent) who based their knowledge about sickle cell disease on the causes of hemoglobin. One of the respondents, who explained his knowledge from this point of view, stated that:Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
Participant 009
Tell me what you understand about sickle cell disease.
Participant: I know it’s when your blood cells are shaped like half-moons and they get caught up on each other and cause blood clots.
While,
Participant 003
Q. Tell me what you know about sickle cell disease.
Participant: Sickle cell disease is a disease that causes sickling of the cells that makes it hard for them to go through the capillaries…um…the hemoglobin that attaches to the cell is low because it’s sickle-shaped.
Contrary to these results from the Mississippi, research works from elsewhere in the world indicates women suffering from sickle cell disease can have a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. However, such a woman is required to be extra careful in avoidance of problems during the pregnancy, which can affect both the health of the mother and that of the unborn baby. The disease is severe, and the pains episodes may be frequent for women suffering from sickle cell disease. Further, researches indicate that due to this condition in pregnant women, there is a high risk of pre-term labor and low-birth weight of the newborn babies. However, with significant prenatal care and monitoring during pregnancy, women suffering from sickle cell disease or sickle cell traits have a high probability of having a health pregnancy. It should be noted that, during prenatal care, there are tests that can be conducted to establish if the unborn babies will acquire sickle cell traits, sickle cell disease, or neither one. These tests are conducted during the second month of pregnancy. Females with sickle cell traits or disease are supposed to consult a genetic counselor and seek more information regarding the disease and the probabilities that they might pass these traits to their babies during pregnancy. Many researchers have been conducted to investigate the medical effects of sickle cell disease, yet it is of interest to unpack the SCD and its relevance within African Americans. The main objective addressed under this theme is a study of African American pregnant females with SCD and the level of information concerning the condition that is at their disposal.Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
Theme on the differences between the individual who suffered sickle cell traits and those who are health or do not suffer from the sickle cell traits.
Under theme on how are the respondent felt different from other people who did not suffer from the sickle cell traits, n=8 (80 percent) indicated that they did not feel any difference in comparison to the individual who were free from these trait. It is only n=2 (20 percent) of the respondent who felt that there were some difference between them and the people who were health or free from sickle cell traits. In response to question three, the respondent 004 stated:Sickle Cell Anemia Assignment Paper
