The Importance of Ethnicity in Blood Donation During National Sickle Cell Awareness Month
September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, a time to recognize those living with the disease and better understand the inherited blood disorder that affects hemoglobin.
In people with sickle cell disease, red blood cells can become rigid and sickle-shaped, restricting blood flow and causing anemia, severe pain, and other serious complications. Blood transfusions are an important part of care for many people with sickle cell disease. Transfusions may be used to treat severe anemia, help prevent or manage strokes, and address other complications. Because some patients receive these transfusions throughout their lives, carefully matching donated red blood cells beyond the ABO and Rh blood groups can help reduce the risk of transfusion reactions.
This need highlights the importance of an ethnically diverse donor community. Sickle cell disease disproportionately affects the Black community, particularly people of African heritage, but may also be found in Hispanic and Latino patients and, less commonly in patients with genetic lineage to Saudi Arabia, India, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. Since red blood cell antigens are inherited, an ethnically aligned donor base improves the likelihood of finding closely matched blood for the sickle cell patient community.
During National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, we thank every donor for helping make lifesaving, closely matched blood available to patients in our community.