Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108088

Brenda D. Anderson, Maternal and Family Health, District of Columbia Department of Health, 825 North Capitol Street, NE, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20002, 202-727-4898, brenda.anderson@dc.gov

The Sickle Cell Education adolescent curriculum is designed to make students think about what role genetic conditions may play in their reproductive health. This method can be applied to other genetic disorders. Students are first given a laypersons definition of Sickle Cell Disease, symptoms and affected populations. Students are given local newborn screening information. A scenario is given to the student involving 876 having Sickle Cell Trait 565 being boys and 311 being girls and the possibility of these children meeting and producing a child when they are of age. It is explained that such couples will have a 25% chance of having a child with Sickle Cell Disease with each pregnancy. It is explained that one out of five parents contacted with a positive Sickle Cell result for their newborn is unaware of them or their partner having Sickle Cell Trait. This stresses the importance of knowing your personal Sickle Cell status. Knowing this information may not change a couple's decision to have a baby but would give them the information need to make that decision. Students are given options available to couples that both have Sickle Cell Trait and who are considering pregnancy. Students are asked what they would do if found in this situation. Students are urged to talk to parents about Sickle Cell Disease and to ask about their Sickle Cell status. If parents cannot remember this information students are urged to contact their pediatricians or get re-tested. Students are given resources for testing.

Learning Objectives:

• To give participants ideas about how to educate adolescents about Sickle Cell Disease and to get this to start thinking about their reproductive health.

Keywords: Adolescents, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.