LAGOS – The Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN) on Thursday advised people with sickle cell disorder to go for genetic counseling before having babies.
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The Programme Coordinator of the foundation, Mr Ebenezer Adeleye, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
According to Adeleye, counseling will help sufferers of the disorder make informed decisions on who they marry and whether or not they will have babies.
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“What experience has shown is that it is not advising people to take the risk or not to take the risk that is the issue.
“It is to make the information available and then allow people to take informed decisions.
“My own experience here has shown that most people, before they get married, the issue of genotype is secondary.
“They would have got to the stage of getting married other before the issue of genotype comes in, and at that point, it is always very difficult for them to break up; but once the information is available, then they will know what to do, then it will help them to take a decision.
“And then mind you, because they are both AS does not connote that once they have a child he is going to be SS.
“In fact, it is only one in four chance of having a child with SS; that is why test like prenatal diagnosis is there for them to check so that their mind can be at rest.
“I quite appreciate that in Nigeria with the level of poverty many people will not be able to afford it, but we are hoping that our DNA laboratory, if it is upgraded, the cost will be significantly reduced and it will become easily accessible to more Nigerians.“
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