"They say love conquers all! But when it comes to Sickle Cell, does love really conquer?

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They say love conquers all! But when it comes to Sickle Cell, does love really conquer?
When you Consider the emotional and financial strain that comes with having children with Sickle Cell Anaemia, is it still worth it?

They tell us to marry someone we love. If the said partner has been verified to be a faithful believer and a true love, Is it still a valid reason for 2 people who are not genotype compatible go ahead and get married?

#Tweet4SickleCell
In as much as we know that considering our future partners’ religious beliefs and morals are important factor, the health aspect cannot be neglected. Some choices you make can mar your relationships no matter how strong it is.

#Tweet4SickleCell
I am an advocate for "marry the one you love" but is love really all it takes? Is love really enough? when clap enter dance will your love be strong enough to hold?

Do you know that Genotype compatibility is an important factor too?
#Tweet4SickleCell
Someone who claims to love you today would bail on you at the slightest provocation. I know a man who claimed to love his wife unconditionally, she contracted Hepatitis C from a hospital procedure and their lives changed forever

#Tweet4SickleCell
Dude became aggressive and retracted. To cut the long story short their marriage didn't survive it. He couldn't deal with it and he left her miserable. One would begin to wonder where did love go?

“ijuom num onye kam ga aju kwanu?”
I digress!

Sickle Cell Anaemia, Sickle Cell Disorders...

Do you know that they are 100% preventible?

How? GENOTYPE TESTING and breaking the sickle cycle by ensuring you and your partner are genotype compatible before making babies
#Tweet4SickleCell
What are Sickle Cell disorders?

They are a group of disorders characterized by presence of abnormal Red Blood Cells. The abnormal hemoglobin is inherited from the mother or father or both.

#Tweet4SickleCell
It cannot occur later in life.You can only be born with it.

Can prayers change your genotype? NO

Follow this conversation and i ll enlighten you more!

If you have a contrary opinion, kindly share too

#Tweet4SickleCell
Red blood cells contain a molecule called hemoglobin which carries oxygen throughout the body. In a person without the disorder, hemoglobin is smooth, round, and flexible allowing red blood cells to glide easily through your bloodstream.
#Tweet4SickleCell
but in a person with Sickle Cell, It means that your reb blood cells have a sickle shape.

It forms rods that clump together and cause red blood cells to become rigid and curved. The odd-shaped cells block blood flow and cause severe pains #Tweet4SickleCell
Before i continue let me differentiate between Sickle Cell Anaemia and Sickle cell trait

Trait; E.g AS;
The person has only one abnormal gene (S) and one normal (A)

They do not display any severe symptoms #Tweet4SickleCell
Sickle Cell Anaemia E.g SS
The person has only 2 abnormal genes(S) (S)

They displays severe symptoms of the disease.

Symptoms include
Painful crisis
Chest infections
Shortage of blood
Painful swelling of hands and feet, etc
#Tweet4SickleCell
Apart from the day to day crisis that Sickle Cell Warriors have to go through, there are life threatening complications too
-blindness
-stroke
-Acute chest syndrome
-prispism
-chronic leg injuries(Ulcers)

Even death😭 #Tweet4SickleCell
For guys, having an erection is a good feeling! But whatever goes up must surely come down abi!

Now imagine how it feels to have erection without any sexual arousal for longer than 4hours 😭

“priapism” -what some of the males go through #Tweet4SickleCell

If a person with the trait AS maries some with 2 normal genes (AS + AA) there is a 50% chance the child will be (AS) and a 50% chance for AA

They cannot have a child with SS.

See, A Sickle cell is broken. Marry Right!Insert pix
Are you following the conversation?

Lemme ask?

Do you know your Genotype?

Mine is AA, what is yours?
A Thread by Dr Kel Oloro @healthertainer on World Sickle Cell Day

 Balogun Fausiat (C) Founder Healthcommunicators Media content provider, Trainer & consultant, Communication4Development, Social Media Influencer
Catch me on Twitter @HealthcommNG
Instagram @Healthcommunicators
Facebook & email – Healthcommunicatorsng@gmail.com, fausiatbakare@gmail.com

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