D’Asia Jackson, a 28-year-old medical assistant from Westland, Michigan, lives with sickle cell disease, a painful condition affecting red blood cells. For the last decade, she has struggled to manage debilitating menstrual pain through various contraception methods, such as Depo-Provera and IUDs, with little success. Jackson describes her pain as feeling like “being hit by a Mack truck,” especially when her period begins. Despite her efforts, she has experienced heavier periods and the need for hospital stays due to blood loss.
The situation is compounded by a lack of knowledge among healthcare providers regarding sickle cell disease and its implications for contraception. Notably, a CDC team responsible for guidelines on safe contraceptive use for patients with various health conditions, including sickle cell, was recently disbanded. This team’s work, instrumental in providing research-backed recommendations for safe birth control methods, particularly for high-risk groups, has been halted, raising concerns within the sickle cell community and advocates like Teonna Woolford.
With the maternal mortality rate for Black sickle cell patients alarmingly higher than for non-Black individuals, the loss of these guidelines is seen as detrimental. The latest CDC recommendations indicated significant risks associated with combined hormonal contraception for women with sickle cell, yet Jackson remained unaware of these changes until recently. She currently uses an IUD and combined hormonal pills, trusting her doctor to advise her.
Despite her ongoing struggle for relief through a hysterectomy—an option she’s pursued with five different OBs—Jackson fears the future of healthcare for patients like herself amidst funding cuts and reorganizations, leaving her uncertain about finding effective birth control solutions.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image of the presented article.
