Intro: I’m Tanesha Nicole and this is Ask A Scientist. September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month and today I’m talking with Dr. Courtney Fitzhugh from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at NIH about sickle cell disease. TN: Dr. Fitzhugh, how does sickle cell impact the Black community? CF: One in 13 African Americans have Sickle Cell Trait and one in 365 Black or African American babies are born each year with Sickle Cell Disease. TN: What are “sickled cells”? CF: The red blood cells are shaped like a banana and they’re stiff and they get stuck within the blood vessels so that the red blood cells are not able to deliver oxygen as effectively. TN: Why does that cause problems? CF: They can cause damage and when these organs are damaged it can lead to a decrease in survival in adults with Sickle Cell Disease and also they can have severe and debilitating pain that really impacts the quality of life. Outro: For more, visit nhlbi.nih.gov.