In the days of yore, the question of genotypes among intending couples was a rarity. Topics concerning health records and medical compatibility among people who planned to spend the rest of their lives together were not always priorities during courtship. For many, physical attraction and emotional connection were all that was deemed necessary to set the foundation for what would be an eternal love affair.
However, ignorance around certain issues of medical compatibility spelled doom for many couples in the past, as offspring had to grapple with excruciating pain—pain that many often died from—due to sickle cell disease, a condition not widely known at the time.
As the years passed and technology advanced, and with the advent of widespread medical outreach, the minds of many who had attributed the sickle cell phenomenon to some incomprehensible spiritual myth rather than genotype compatibility were disabused.
Genotype can be simply defined as the genetic constitution of an individual organism.
When individuals with sickle cell trait, specifically those with the AS genotype of both genders, engage in sexual intercourse, their offspring will inevitably inherit sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen.
According to a study by the International Journal of General Medical, Nigeria is believed to be the most sickle cell-endemic country in sub-Saharan Africa, with between 2% and 3% of the total population affected.
Numerous programs and initiatives by government and non-governmental organizations are geared towards providing quality health care for children battling with sickle cell disease.
For example, the Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria is a non-governmental and non-profit-making organization dedicated to the proper care and control of sickle cell. They provide services like genetic counseling, Exchange Blood Transfusion (EBT), and prenatal diagnosis for couples for whom there is a real possibility of bearing children with sickle cell anemia.
There is also the National Sickle Cell Centre (NSCC), strategically located opposite the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, to facilitate desirable and effective collaboration with a tertiary care hospital and university research center.
The NSCC advocates for the establishment of collaborative Sickle Cell Centers in every state of the federation. These State Centers would subsequently provide support and oversight to the operation of Sickle Cell Clubs within their respective regions, thereby fostering seamless coordination among all reputable sickle cell organizations across the nation.
Finally, to check the spread of this virulent disease, the first and most effective way is to ascertain the genotype of any desirable individual prior to expressing romantic interest in them.
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