The Invisible Wounds: How Stigma and Discrimination Hurt Sickle Cell Warriors

Living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is incredibly challenging. The physical pain is relentless, but often, the most agonizing part isn’t the crises themselves, it’s the way society treats us. We face a silent, insidious battle against stigma and discrimination, and it leaves wounds that hurt just as deeply as any physical pain.

Singled Out and Shamed

I learned about stigma before I even knew I had SCD. “Go and inform your mother first before you join the dance group,” I was told in a dismissive tone during an activity in primary school. While others joined freely, I was singled out, made to feel like there was something inherently wrong with me.
In secondary school, comments like, “Abeg shift oh before you die in my hands. Shift before they say I touched you,” were common. I wasn’t in pain, not even crying, but their fear and ignorance painted me as someone on the brink of death. This is the daily reality for many of us living with sickle cell.

Barriers to Opportunity

The impact of stigma extends into every facet of our lives. “Pharm Kenechukwu cannot be given that position because she’s a sickler,” I heard at work. A promotion, a chance to advance my career, was instantly denied not due to a lack of skill, qualification, or work ethic, but simply because of SCD.
I recently connected with another warrior who kept losing job opportunities despite being highly skilled and dedicated. The heartbreaking common response? “We don’t want a sick person.” Imagine the gut punch of seeing an interviewer’s face shift the moment they become aware of your SCD diagnosis. You know, instantly, you won’t get the job not because you’re incapable, but because you carry a label they’d rather not deal with.

The Subtle and Overt Forms of Prejudice

The stigma can be subtle; an awkward silence after disclosing your genotype, a pitying glance that follows you. Or it can be loud and clear; outright exclusion, being overlooked, or denied opportunities because of SCD.
We hear of people hesitating to date someone with SCD because, “I don’t want a sick child.” We’ve seen jobs and promotions denied after a health check, even when the person was the most qualified candidate.
Some of us choose to hide our diagnosis, not out of shame, but out of sheer exhaustion from the constant judgment, pity, and doubt. “You don’t even look sick. Are you sure you have sickle cell?” someone once asked me, as if we need to be visibly suffering for our experiences to be valid.
In school, teachers doubt our abilities. In the workplace, employers question our capacity. Even in relationships, we’re constantly forced to prove our worth.

We Are More Than Our Diagnosis

Here’s the truth that needs to be known
We are not weak neither are we broken or less.
What we truly need is understanding.
What we desperately need is inclusion.
What we deserve is support, not pity, and respect, not rejection.
Sickle Cell Warriors deserve better. We deserve dignity.