Who is at Risk for Sickle Cell Disease

In the United States, most people with sickle cell disease (SCD) are of African ancestry or identify themselves as black.

  • About 1 in 13 African American babies is born with sickle cell trait.
  • About 1 in every 365 black children is born with sickle cell disease.

There are also many people with this disease who come from Hispanic, southern European, Middle Eastern, or Asian Indian backgrounds.

Approximately 100,000 Americans have SCD.

 

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health.