The Sickle Cell Foundation of Orange County

Approximately 1 in 12 African-Americans are carriers of the Sickle Cell Trait. This disease occurs 1 of every 500 Black or African American births and among 1 out of every 36,000 Hispansics American births. It is expected that SCD affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the US. Many more are afflicted worldwide. The average life expectancy of someone who suffers from SCD in America is about 40 years. Where treatments are not readily available, they often die in early childhood. In underdeveloped countries, 60-80 percent of babies with SCD die before two years of age. 

There were approximately 5,100 people with SCD living in California in 2004-2008: 14% younger than 6 years old, 25% between the ages of 6-17 years, 22% between the ages of 18-29, 28% between the ages 30-50, and 11% between the ages of 51 years and older. 

There were 486 babies born with SCD in California in 2004-2008 with 89% being Black-African American, 8% were Hispanic-Hispanic American, and the other being 5%. 

SCD affects all races and ethnic groups. In California, SCD occurs among approximately 1 out of every 5,655 live births, 452 Black-African American live births, and 35,454 Hispanic American live births.