Regional Differences In The Beliefs And Practices Among Adults With Sickle Cell Disease Regarding Reproductive Health And Family Planning: A Sub-Analysis

Background. Sickle cell disease (SCD) remains the most common genetic hematologic disorder, with a disproportionally high incidence and prevalence in African countries. It is associated with an increased risk of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality compared to the general population. As more young adults living with SCD reach healthier reproductive ages, it is imperative that there is open communication between providers and patients regarding reproductive health, maternal risks associated with childbirth, and the risk of having children who inherit SCD. It is also important that providers understand reproductive health knowledge and perceptions within this population and methods to improve family planning education. We performed a survey-based study aimed to quantify current knowledge and perceptions regarding reproductive health choices, family planning and genetic counseling-presented in another abstract-. Here we present a sub-analysis, aiming to quantify differences, based on the participants region, concerning reproductive health knowledge and perceptions amongst adults with SCD.