“I am a 37 years old lady, a graduate of Business Administration, a former Banker and now an entrepreneur. I attribute my existence to Christ, who made the difference in me.

"I have been diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease(SCD) since I was three months old, so, you can imagine the pains that I go through, but sometimes, I scale through a year without crisis and it takes me every six months to get blood transfusion.

“My mum has been my pillar and soul mate. Having sickle cell to me is an essence of life and I am not a mistake in creation. So, people with it should accept it and fulfil purpose.”

These are the words of Olufemi Daniel, while speaking with CEOAfica on life as SCD carrier or SS, as it is commonly known.

She is a lady, who has been through agony due to her blood group and as if that isn’t enough, settling down also has been a great challenge to her and yes, she’s 37 years old.

While asked about marriage, she said: "I had so many disappointments, but very soon, I am settling down."

She shared her experience and so many encounters with guys, who knew her status and claimed to be her soul mate, but couldn’t stand the test of time, as they all left even after duping her materially.

Just as the case of Titilope (not real name), an HIV patient, who couldn’t bear the pains of being swindled by men over and again, then, voiced out recently on a radio show, seeking for advice.

Titilope got infected by her husband and later filed divorce, but yet, she made her status known to any man who comes her way and of which they all had their ways in cash and kind and left.

According to Titilope: “Some women get away with this, in fact, they are doing very fine; they have this disease and don’t tell their spouse about it. I have been truthful and I do not have anything to show for it.”

 It becomes necessary then, to know if truly love counts, when it comes to marriage in the face of SCD or HIV disease.

CEOAfrica speaks with youths to know what really is in it for SCD carriers and HIV patients, even with the advancement and preventive measures, wondering if they would be honest enough to tell partners their status or go for a carrier in the name of love.

Nneka Oka said: “If I were SS, I will tell him, but with HIV, I might not.” Pertaining to getting married to a carrier, she said, “From day one, I can’t marry an HIV patient and I can’t marry SS because I am AS.”

Fatima Odunade enthused that she won’t want to get married at all to avoid further complications, if she was a carrier.

According to Anu Ibirinde, getting married to a carrier is difficult, but not impossible. “If I were the carrier, I will tell my spouse, because if I don’t, that means I don’t love him and if he gets to know, it would be worse, which is not fair. But if I tell him about my status and he leaves, that means he’s not mine.”

Still on people’s opinion on this touching and emotional issue, Bukola Ogundeji said she can’t marry a carrier, but if she were AA, she could marry an SS.

Kennedy Abba also said he would inform his partner before marriage, adding that he can’t marry a carrier, because of the future.

Uwem Okpo explained: “Well, the normal me won’t marry such person, but I have seen myself doing things I wouldn’t have on a normal basis. So, I will say circumstances do change people, their decision and perspective.”

“There is no point in hiding anything from one’s partner as long as love is involved. One has to consider the future of the unborn children and act accordingly. Being SS is not the end of the world and I can be with such person. On HIV, I would tell the girl to avoid being guilty,” Gbenga Aiyebusi said.

Junior Adeoye once said getting married to a carrier even with the partner’s consent in the name of love, is a way of putting God into test. “It is very rare to encounter situations where scientific proofs are being defied by religious beliefs. I know a good number of sickle cell patients, who end up living a life of hardship because of the negligence of their parents. It is tantamount to putting God into test.”

However, it is pertinent to realise that it is easier said than done as some people even shy away from dating such carrier. Olufemi Daniel, the SCD patient advised Nigerians to be very decisive while choosing a partner “as the trauma is better imagined than experienced and when trial comes, there won't be anything called love.”