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July 29, 2014 - Skeptoid
18:21
Skeptoid #425: Albinism Facts and Fiction

Even in developed countries, myths persist about people who have albinism. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Transcriber: nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v2, sat-12l-sm, and large-v3-turbo
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Myths and Facts About Albinism 00:10:27
How much do you know about albinism?
Today we've got a roundup of facts and fiction about the unusual condition.
And I can guarantee that some of what you think you know about it is wrong.
Our fellow humans born with albinism face a number of difficult challenges, both social and health-related.
So it's to all of our advantage to understand the condition correctly.
Albinism is right now on Skeptoid.
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Albino Facts and Fiction.
The past decade has brought news of an atrocity, mainly from Africa, the slaughter of albino humans for their body parts for use in ritual magic.
Bodies are usually found headless and missing one or more limbs, but sometimes are completely torn apart, missing even internal organs.
The reason is, of course, pure unadulterated pseudoscience.
We can confidently state that there is no magical benefit to the use of albino body parts, and that's to say nothing of the abhorrence of murder for any purpose.
Clearly, there are some fictional beliefs out there concerning the nature of people with albinism.
And today we're going to look at some more of these beliefs that might be held even by those of us who are not into black magic.
But the use of their body parts in ritual magic is the elephant in the room.
Arms and legs are the witch doctor's preferred bits.
They're used as charms and talismans.
And other body parts also have magical value, such as hair being sewn into fishing nets to bring good luck.
About five albinos per year are reported to be killed in Africa for their body parts, but the total is probably larger.
Perhaps even more frightening is that about the same number of people survive similar attacks, suddenly accosted by men with machetes who hack off the valuable limbs and abscond with little care for the still living victim they leave behind.
It's quick cash.
In Tanzania, a single limb can be worth up to four times the average annual income.
A complete albino body, chopped apart and sold bit by bit, can be worth five times what the average Tanzanian can expect to earn in a lifetime.
A figure often given in the press is $75,000.
Fortunately, over the past few years, witch doctors and attackers have been prosecuted and some have been executed, leading to a reduction in these attacks.
But another problem faced by African albinos is that they're nearly always from broken homes.
When some African fathers see their child born white, they assume their wives must have been having affairs with white men.
The Albino Association of Kenya says that 90% of albinos in that country are raised by single mothers as a result.
There are four basic types of albinism, some of which have subtypes corresponding to different genetic defects.
All are inherited from the parents and are recessive traits.
If both parents carry the recessive OCA gene, there's a one in four chance that their child will be an albino.
Depending on which type of albinism you have, you might have no pigment at all anywhere in your body, or even brown hair and eyes, and skin only slightly lighter than normal.
In most types, the performance of the enzyme tyrosinase is affected, which is responsible for the production of melanin.
It is the most extreme form of albinism, called oculocutaneous albinism type 1, OCA1, or tyrosinase-related albinism, that results in white hair, white skin, and red eyes.
Most of the myths surrounding albinos stem from OCA1 individuals and are based on superstition and come mainly from African countries.
These myths include albinism is the result of a curse.
Raping an albino woman will cure a man of AIDS.
This myth is most prevalent in Zimbabwe.
Albinos can read the future.
Albinism is contagious.
And of course, albino body parts are useful talismans in black magic.
But there are facts and fictions about our albinistic comrades that even more sophisticated people might not know.
Let's run through a true or false quiz on some of these questions, and we'll start with an easy one.
People with albinism are from every race and every geography.
True, though the dispersion is far from equal.
Estimates vary, but about 1 in 17,000 people have some form of albinism.
In most parts of the world, it's less.
The mutation first arose in sub-Saharan Africa, and like all genetic conditions, it remains most prevalent among its original population.
The rate is highest in Tanzania and Burundi, where albinism affects about one in every 1,500 people.
This is primarily the result of two effects.
First, that's the population where the mutation is most common, so it's more likely that both parents are going to be carriers of the recessive gene.
And second, social pressures tend to group albinos together, where they're more likely to intermarry, greatly increasing the chances of albinistic offspring.
Next one, the killing of albinos for their body parts is an ancient problem.
False.
In fact, nearly all such reports come from the past 20 years.
The first conviction for such a murder came in 2009.
Some researchers speculate that the problem is most likely older and was just never reported, but the evidence that it's anything but a modern trend is scant.
Next one, albinism may have played a role in the origin of the white race.
False.
Albinism can be defined by a specific mutation of a specific gene, and that mutation is not a characteristic of non-albinistic whites.
Thus we have genetic proof that intermarriage with whites is not related to albinism among blacks, and albinism is not related to the appearance of white racial characteristics.
In fact, we now know that race itself does not exist genetically.
There is no way to look at a person's genome and determine his race.
Instead, people have inherited physical characteristics that may be prevalent within their population and may affect characteristics such as skin color, hair type, or the shape of eyes, nose, and face.
Next one, albinos are sterile.
False.
There are no albinistic traits that affect the reproductive system.
But this myth is surprisingly widely believed.
Even doing an internet search for albino sterile reveals discussions about how albino humans or animals are sterile.
People talk about it as if it's a real thing, even adding details like, sterility is more common among male albinos than females.
There is no association at all, and I couldn't find any hint as to how or where this myth got started.
Often, claims like this are rooted in plain old nonsense stemming from cultural marginalization.
In a world that can feel overwhelming, spreading thoughtful, evidence-based content is one of the best ways to make a positive impact.
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It's an easy ask.
Just send a quick message to your station's programming director.
By helping to bring the Skeptoid files to the airwaves, you'll help promote the essential skills we all need to tell fact from fiction.
Just go to your local station's website, find the programming director's email address, or just their general email address.
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I know that might sound crazy.
It's an old legacy device that allows real-time voice communication.
I know that's weird, but hey, it's an option.
The world can feel chaotic, but you're not powerless.
When you promote critical thinking, you can help your community tell fact from fiction.
And that's how we shape a better future.
In uncertain times, spreading good ideas can make you feel helpful, not helpless.
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Vision Problems and Developmental Issues 00:05:48
Next one, albinos have bad eyesight.
True.
Almost all people with any type of albinism have at least some vision problems, many of which can be severe.
The lack of pigment within the eye, or even a reduction in pigment, can lead to a cascading set of ocular defects.
Someone with OCA1 would be lucky to have 2,200 vision.
The other vision problems albinos can expect include hypoplastic fovea, hyperopia, strabismus, photophobia, lack of depth perception, and nystagmus.
A lot of these problems are not easily correctable, and as a result, many albinos are considered legally blind, though they can usually see well enough to get around and make it through their day.
And many can drive.
Next one, albinos tend to have more developmental difficulties.
True, but only because of the vision problems and social pressures.
When you can't read the blackboard or you're ostracized from society and can't go to a normal school, you often fall behind academically.
This has led to the belief that albinos have mental retardation problems, or at best, learning disabilities.
In fact, they're no more likely to than anyone else.
But because of the reasons stated, they are much more likely to be behind developmentally.
Next one, there is such a thing as being the opposite of an albino.
True.
While albinism is the absence of pigment, Melanism is an abnormal overproduction of dark pigment.
But there are two important notes.
First, while there are plenty of examples of melanistic animals, melanistic humans are virtually unknown.
And second, like albinism, melanism is not a single condition, but a set of related conditions.
You don't see Caucasian people who are dark black all over, which would be kind of cool.
But we do see conditions resulting in pigmentation of certain internal organs or uneven pigmentation of the skin.
Animals are another matter.
There are beautiful jet black lions, snakes, penguins who look like they forgot their white tuxedo shirt, you name it.
There's also another type of pigmentary disorder called amelanism, where the dark melanin pigment is missing, but other lighter colored pigments remain.
You won't find any humans or other mammals with amelanism either, because mammals don't produce pigments other than melanin.
But animal examples are common.
You might have seen white and yellow pythons at the zoo that were incorrectly described as albino.
If they were, they wouldn't have been any yellow.
Birds can have flamboyant red and yellow beaks from carotenoid pigments.
Next one, albinos have trouble synthesizing vitamin D. False.
Albinos rock the vitamin D production.
In fact, they can synthesize it about five times faster than very dark-skinned individuals.
Vitamin D is produced in the skin when ultraviolet B light enters and provides the energy to chemically transform 7-dehydrocholesterol, which you need to get from your diet, into calciferol, aka vitamin D. In an ironic contradiction to some superstitious beliefs, this particular trait is particularly valuable in motherhood when the need for calcium is highest, ranking albino mothers among the most physically suited.
Next one, albinos are more likely to die from skin cancer.
True.
Shockingly, terrifyingly true, and it's probably worse than what you might think is the worst case scenario.
Listen to this snip from a 2011 article published in the journal Dermatologic Clinics.
A study amongst individuals with OCA in Tanzania revealed that 100% exhibited skin damage by the first year of life, and advanced symptomatic cancers were observed in 50% of those between 20 and 30 years of age, with one case of skin cancer in a nine-year-old girl.
In a Nigerian study, no albinos older than 20 years of age were free of subclinical malignant skin damage, and in the 1980s, less than 10% of albinos living around Dar es Salaam survived beyond 30 years of age.
Within Tanzania, less than 2% of albino children were expected to reach 40 years of age.
Fortunately, this situation has improved dramatically in recent years, as substantial humanitarian resources have been brought to bear to provide adequate supplies of sunscreen to African albinos, along with sun protection education.
In fact, this is where the really good news is.
Persecution and marginalization of albinos has probably peaked, and both are almost certain to decline considerably in the future.
The number of charity and humanitarian groups focused on the issues facing African albinos has skyrocketed, and their presence is felt throughout the region.
Albinism brings traits that are often seen as desirable in white populations.
Light or blue eyes, light skin, white or very blonde hair.
It can even be seen as something of a physical ideal to some.
Hope for African Albino Communities 00:02:01
Let's hope that this same appreciation for an amazing and unusual look continues to spread, especially among groups who see it as a defect or as some supernatural curse.
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