title: Is a national program to prevent sickle cell disease possible?
abstract: There is no specific therapy for sickle cell disease, and there is no evidence that sickle hemoglobin screening by conventional methods will lead to a significant reduction in the number of children with sickle cell disease. Thus it follows that if there is to be a national program to prevent sickle cell disease, the only recourse is one based on prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion of affected embryos or fetuses. Present-day dire poverty and callous health care public policies lead to the inescapable conclusion that a concerted attempt to alleviate poverty and its consequent adverse effects on maternal, neonatal, and infant mortality should take precedence over, or at the least coincide with, a national program to prevent sickle cell disease. On the other hand, it is argued that a woman should have the right to decide whether or not she wishes to have a child with a genetic disorder, and that recent advances in research on prenatal diagnosis, particularly when supported by public funds, should be made available to all, and not just the affluent.
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000191:economics / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D014481:United States; D001741:Black or African American