Knowledge and Attitude of Senior Secondary School Students in Benin City Nigeria to Sickle Cell Disease

Since the discovery of sickle cell disease by DR J.B. Herrick in 1904, the disease has been given several names by various tribes based on their understanding. In Nigeria about 30,000 children are born each year with sickle cell disease. There is no legislation in Nigeria on premarital screening and only about 63.6% of university students know their Haemoglobin genotype. This descriptive study was carried out from January to march 2007 with 850 senior secondary school students in the urban areas of Benin City. Analysed data showed that majority of the student were above 16yrs (54%), females (60.9%), Christians (94.9%), indigene of Edo (48%) and had educated parents (64.9% secondary and above). Only 32% of the respondent knew their genotype, 12.9% claimed ABO blood group for their Hb genotype, while 55.1% did not know their Hb genotype. Also only 18% of the respondent had some/correct idea about sickle cell disease, 36% of the students knew the importance of premarital Hb genotype and only 15.1% believes that the disease is curable.18% of the students will show wrong attitude including stigmatization towards patients with sickle cell disease. This study has shown that majority of the senior secondary school students are in the premarital phase. Majority of the students do not know their Hb genotype, have a poor understanding of the disease and some will stigmatize patients with sickle cell disease. We need to encourage the education of our student about the disease and encourage premarital Hb genotype screening even at a lower level of secondary school.