NCAA Introduces Sickle Cell Testing

For those of you that haven't been keeping up with the latest trends in NCAA rules, allow The Back Page to fill you in. This year, the NCAA has mandated that college athletes either be tested for Sickle Cell trait or sign a waiver declining testing.

As the NCAA kindly explains, Sickle Cell trait is "the inheritance of one gene for sickle hemoglobin and one for normal hemoglobin." It's particularly hazardous to athletes, because, while symptoms may not arise in day-to-day activity, intense exercise can lead to blocked blood flow, which can cause collapsing and death. Not surprisingly, the NCAA tries to avoid these occurrences whenever possible.

Though this year is the first that the NCAA has included the Sickle Cell test in its rulebook, the dangerous trait has been a known quantity for quite some time. The condition affects one in 12 African Americans, and in the past decade it has brought about the deaths of 21 college football players. In fact, the new NCAA recommendations emerged largely in response to a lawsuit initiated by the family of one of the deceased athletes, Dale Lloyd II of Rice University.

Despite the track record that Sickle Cell trait has acquired and the highly-contentious lawsuit that pushed testing into the spotlight, the condition continues to fly under the radar. Searches on University Health Services’ website for "Sickle Cell Trait" or simply “Sickle Cell” yield no results.

But despite the lack of publicity, testing is available at UHS for Harvard students that want it. So, if you're at all concerned that you might have the trait, especially if you plan on exercising at some point in your life (this should be everyone), it certainly makes sense to stop in at UHS and ask for a test. As too many have found out the hard way, your life could depend on it.