how do you get sickle cell

You do not “catch” sickle cell like an infection – you are born with it because of the genes you inherit from your parents.

How do you get sickle cell?

Sickle cell disease is a genetic (inherited) blood disorder, not something you develop later from lifestyle, food, or contact with someone who has it. It happens when a person receives specific hemoglobin genes from their parents that cause red blood cells to become hard, sticky, and “sickle” shaped.

The basic genetics (simple version)

Think of your hemoglobin gene (the gene that helps make red blood cells work properly) as a pair of letters:

Normal hemoglobin: A
Sickle hemoglobin: S

Everyone gets:

1 hemoglobin gene from their mother
1 hemoglobin gene from their father

So your pair could be:

AA – normal hemoglobin
AS – sickle cell trait (carrier)
SS – sickle cell disease

When do you actually get sickle cell disease?

You are born with sickle cell disease only if you receive a sickle gene from both parents:

One S from mom
One S from dad
Genotype: SS → sickle cell disease

This is called an autosomal recessive condition:

“Autosomal” = not linked to sex (it affects all genders equally)

“Recessive” = you need two sickle genes (SS) to have the disease

You cannot turn AS into SS later in life; your gene combination is fixed from birth.

Difference between sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait

Many people confuse these, so here’s a quick breakdown.

Sickle cell disease (usually SS)

Two sickle genes (SS, or sometimes other combinations like SC, Sβ-thalassemia).

Red blood cells become sickle-shaped, can block blood vessels, cause pain crises, anemia, and organ damage.

Needs lifelong medical follow-up and treatments.

Sickle cell trait (AS)

One normal gene (A) + one sickle gene (S).

Most people have no symptoms , or only very mild issues in extreme situations (e.g., very hard exercise at high altitude or severe dehydration).

They do not have sickle cell disease, but they can pass the S gene to their children.

Common parent combinations (what can children get?)

Here is a simple HTML table that shows what can happen depending on the parents’ genes.

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Parents’ hemoglobin</th>
      <th>Child’s possible genes</th>
      <th>Chance of sickle cell disease</th>
      <th>Chance of trait</th>
      <th>Chance of no S gene</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>AA (no S) + AA (no S)</td>
      <td>All AA</td>
      <td>0%</td>
      <td>0%</td>
      <td>100%</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>AA + AS (trait)</td>
      <td>AA or AS</td>
      <td>0%</td>
      <td>50%</td>
      <td>50%</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>AS (trait) + AS (trait)</td>
      <td>AA, AS, or SS</td>
      <td>25% SS</td>
      <td>50% AS</td>
      <td>25% AA</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>AS (trait) + SS (disease)</td>
      <td>AS or SS</td>
      <td>50% SS</td>
      <td>50% AS</td>
      <td>0%</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>SS + SS</td>
      <td>All SS</td>
      <td>100% SS</td>
      <td>0%</td>
      <td>0%</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

These percentages are per pregnancy; each child’s outcome is an independent chance event.

Can you “develop” sickle cell later?

No:

You cannot get sickle cell disease from:
- Kissing, sex, blood contact, or living with someone who has it
- Food, lifestyle, or stress
You either have the sickle genes from birth or you do not.

What can happen is:

Someone with sickle cell trait (AS) may only learn they are a carrier when:
- They do a blood test for school, sports, premarital screening, or pregnancy.
- Their child is diagnosed with sickle cell disease.

Why is sickle cell more common in some populations?

Sickle cell is more common in people with ancestry from:

West, Central, and East Africa
The Caribbean
India and parts of the Middle East
Mediterranean regions (e.g., parts of Italy, Greece)

Historically, carrying the sickle cell trait (AS) gave some protection against severe malaria , so the gene persisted more in areas where malaria was common.

How to know your sickle cell status

If you are wondering whether you could “get sickle cell,” the real question is often: “Do I carry the sickle gene, and could my children have sickle cell?” You can find out by:

Newborn screening : Many countries test babies soon after birth.

Hemoglobin electrophoresis or similar blood tests : This shows if you are AA, AS, SS, or another type.

Genetic counseling : Especially important for couples planning a pregnancy if either partner has trait or disease.

Mini story to make it clearer

Imagine two people, Ada and Tunde:

Ada has AS (trait) but feels totally healthy and never knew her status.
Tunde also has AS, but only found out during a premarital test.

When they decide to have a baby, doctors explain:

Each pregnancy has:
- 25% chance of a child with SS (sickle cell disease)
- 50% chance of a child with AS (trait)
- 25% chance of a child with AA (no S gene)

They choose to see a genetic counselor, learn about in‑pregnancy testing options, and plan for early newborn screening and specialist care if a child has SS.

Key points in one glance

You get sickle cell disease by inheriting two sickle genes (SS) , one from each parent.

You do not catch it during life; it is present from birth.

Having one sickle gene (AS) = trait (carrier), usually no illness but can pass it on.

Testing before or during pregnancy helps you understand the chance of having a child with sickle cell disease and plan care.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.

how do you get sickle cell