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Women and Sickle Cell Disease
Women and Sickle Cell DiseaseYou can do many things to live a long, healthy life with sickle cell disease. But this blood disorder can be hardto manage at times–more so if you are a woman.Sickle cell disease affects your red blood cells. These cells become rigid, sticky, and shaped like the letter C,or a sickle tool. As they move through your body, they tend to bunch together and get stuck in smaller bloodvessels.This block in blood flow can cause episodes of sudden pain. These are called pain crises. It can also lead toorgan damage and other serious health problems. For girls and women with sickle cell disease, they may faceunique health problems, including: A delay in puberty; More pain crises before or during your period due tohormone changes; Pain during sex; And trouble getting pregnant because of treatments for the disease.Pregnancy may also make the disease harder to manage. Pain crises may occur more often. And anemia, theloss of red blood cells, may get worse. Pregnant people with sickle cell disease may also have a higher risk for:Blood clots; Infections; And stroke. And their baby may be born smaller or earlier than expected.If you are thinking about getting pregnant, talk with your care team to help you better prepare. They will checkyour overall health and discuss steps to prevent complications. They may change your treatment plan inpreparation for pregnancy. For example, you should not take hydroxyurea during pregnancy.You may also want to consider seeing a genetic counselor to help you and your partner with family planning.They can help you understand how likely it is that your child would have sickle cell disease.During pregnancy, regular checkups can help keep you and your baby healthy. Your healthcare provider willteach you how to manage sickle cell disease during pregnancy.As women get older, sickle cell disease may lead to other health problems, including: Chronic pain; Kidneydisease; High levels of iron due to past blood transfusions; Open sores; Or blood clots in the legs or lungs.No matter your age, your care team can help you better manage sickle cell disease. They are here to supportyou at every stage of your life.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
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