What is the difference between sickle cell trait and disease?

Sickle cell trait means you carry one sickle cell gene, while sickle cell disease occurs when you inherit two. People with the trait usually have no symptoms, but they can pass the gene to their children. Both partners should get tested before having kids to understand their risks.

If you have the sickle cell trait, you do not have sickle cell disease. Having the trait means that you are a “carrier” of the sickle cell gene, but you do not have the condition itself ^[1][2].

Because sickle cell disease is a genetic condition, understanding the difference between the trait and the disease comes down to how many copies of the mutated gene you inherited from your biological parents.