Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sickle Cell Disease? – Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder affecting the red blood cells. People with Sickle Cell Disease have red blood cells that become hard and pointed instead of being soft and round. Sickle cells cause anemia, pain and many other problems.
Why is it called Sickle Cell Disease? – Many red blood cells in people with Sickle Cell Disease are shaped like a sickle, a tool used by farmers. This is how the sickle red blood cell got its name.
What is Sickle Cell Trait? – A person gets or inherits Sickle Cell Trait the same way they got the color of their eyes, the shape of their nose and the texture of their hair. They got it through the genes that their mother and father passed on to them. Genes also tell body what kind of blood to make. They receive an abnormal gene for hemoglobin S from one of their parents and the normal gene for hemoglobin A from the other parent, A + S = AS.
Does Sickle Cell Trait ever make a person sick? – No. Sickle Cell Trait is not an illness. People with Sickle Cell Trait are healthy. On rare occasions individuals may have blood in their urine.
If someone has Sickle Cell Trait can they have a child with Sickle Cell Disease? – Yes. They can if their partner also has Sickle Cell Trait or the Trait from another hemoglobin disorder.
How does a person get Sickle Cell Disease? – The gene that causes Sickle Cell Disease is called the S gene. If a person gets one S gene from one parent and one S gene from the other parent, they will have two S genes or SS. If they got the S gene from one parent and a gene for different abnormal hemoglobin from the other parent, they would have another form of Sickle Cell disease.
Can Sickle Cell Trait turn into Sickle Cell Disease? – Never. A person’s hemoglobin type is something they inherit and have for life.
Why are people tested? – Babies are tested at birth to see if they have sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait. Teens and adults are tested to see if they carry sickle cell trait and the future impact of having a child with sickle cell disease.
How should a person with Sickle Cell Trait plan? – In planning a family it is wise to ask your partner to get tested for sickle cell trait to understand the possibilities of having baby with sickle cell disease. Everyone has two sets of genes and one is passed on to the baby from each parent.
