Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41121236›Full record

ReviewReproductive health2025

Impact of sickle cell anaemia on reproductive health: a narrative review.

Gabriel Pezahso Kotam, Diana Baaba Morrison, Joel Nyarko Karikari, Akorli Obed Mawunyo, Jessica Kotam, George Nkrumah Osei, Patrick Adu

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Reproductive health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Gabriel Pezahso KotamDepartment of Medical Laboratory Scienc, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. gkpezahso@gmail.com.
Diana Baaba MorrisonDepartment of Medical Laboratory Scienc, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Joel Nyarko KarikariDepartment of Medical Laboratory Scienc, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Akorli Obed MawunyoDepartment of Medical Laboratory Scienc, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Jessica KotamSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
George Nkrumah OseiDepartment of Medical Laboratory Scienc, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Patrick AduDepartment of Medical Laboratory Scienc, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary red blood cell disorder with multi-systemic manifestations, including chronic pain, anaemia, stroke, renal complications, and increased mortality. While these clinical features have been well documented, reproductive health complications among individuals with SCD remain comparatively underexplored. MAIN BODY: The recurrent vaso-occlusive crises, resulting from microvascular obstruction, can lead to infarctions in the testes and ovaries, thereby impairing spermatogenesis and ovarian reserve. Other associated complications such as priapism and gonadal failure further compromise fertility. Furthermore, whereas chronic transfusion therapy is required in many patients, it predisposes to iron overload-induced gonadal dysfunction. Hydroxyurea has been implicated as a potential gonadotoxic and teratogenic agent. This narrative review presents current evidence on the impact of SCD on reproductive function in both males and females. Emerging strategies aimed at preserving reproductive potential and improving patient outcomes, including preconception counselling, oocyte and embryo cryopreservation, in vitro fertilisation (IVF), and preimplantation genetic testing are highlighted.

conclusionA deeper understanding of how SCD affects fertility, pregnancy, sexual health, and reproductive options is essential to patient-centered care and integrating systems thinking into a multi-disciplinary team approach to improve the overall reproductive health of SCD individuals.

Indexed as

Anemia, Sickle CellReproductive HealthFemaleHumansHydroxyureaMalePregnancyHydroxyureaFertility preservationGonadal dysfunctionReproductive healthSickle cell diseaseVaso-occlusive crises

Identifiers

PMID41121236
PMCPMC12538940

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.