Sickle cell anaemia
Sickle cell disease isusually detected during pregnancy or soon after birth.
Blood tests can also be carried out at any time to check for the condition or to see if you're asickle cell carrier and are at risk of having a child with the condition.
Screening to check if a baby is at risk of being born with sickle cell disease is offered to all pregnant women in England.
In parts of England where conditions such as sickle cell disease are more common, pregnant women are offered a blood test to check if they carry sickle cell.
In areas where these conditions are less common, a questionnaire about your family origins is used to determine whether you should have a blood test for sickle cell.
You can also ask to have the test even if your family origins don't suggest your baby would be at high risk of sickle cell disease.
Screeningshould ideally be carried out before you're 10 weeks pregnant, so you and your partner have time to consider the option of further tests to find out if your baby will be born with sickle cell disease.
This is also known as having the sickle cell trait.
Getting tested can be particularly useful if you have a family history of the condition or your partner is known to carry sickle cell.
If you think you could be a carrier, you can ask for a test from your GP surgery or nearestsickle cell and thalassaemia centre.
Both men and women can have the test.
Read moreinformation aboutsickle cell carriers.
Find out about sickle cell disease, a serious inherited blood disorder where the red blood cells develop abnormally. Find out about the symptoms, causes and treatments.
Read about the possible symptoms of sickle cell disease, including painful episodes (crises), infections and anaemia.
Read about what causes sickle cell disease, how it's inherited and how it affects the body.
Read about testing for sickle cell disease, including screening during pregnancy, newborn screening and tests to find out if you're a carrier of the sickle cell trait.
Read about the main treatments for sickle cell disease, including medications to prevent pain, blood transfusions and stem cell transplants.
Read advice about living with sickle cell disease, including how to avoid pain and infections, when to get medical advice and getting pregnant.
Read about how to find out if you're a carrier of sickle cell and what it means for your health and any children you may have.