Sickle cell disease in a "postracial" America

Sickle cell disease was first identified as a clinical syndrome in the United States nearly 100 years ago. Since that time, perhaps no other medical condition has been as strongly associated with the concept of "race." In this commentary, the authors integrate multidisciplinary perspectives to argue for more rigorous analyses of how perceiving sickle cell disease through racial lenses impacts its public image and, more importantly, its perception among health care providers. The authors assert that concerted efforts involving collaborations among media, community-based organizations, medical professionals, and health care policy makers are needed to challenge popular misconceptions about sickle cell disease heritability and risk.