$40.00
Priced per marker, with baseline labs included. You’ll see your total before you pay.
Other tests
Sickle cell screen test
Screens for sickle hemoglobin (HbS).
At a glance
In about 5 days
Most results are ready in about 5 days. Some specialty markers can take up to 21 days.
Check before your draw
This marker has no preparation tag, but it can still need preparation. Contact us before your draw if you’re not sure.
Walk in at Quest
Your lab order arrives by email. Most Quest locations take walk-ins, so bring it with a photo ID.
What it measures
Sickle hemoglobin is a changed form of the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. This screen looks for it, and a positive result, which may point to sickle cell trait, can be followed up with another test.
Why it matters for women
If you and your partner both carry the sickle cell gene, your child can be born with sickle cell disease, so this may be checked before or during pregnancy. Carrying the trait (one copy of the gene) may cause no health problems for you. This screen looks only for sickle hemoglobin, so a doctor may suggest a broader test for other inherited blood conditions.
You might check it if…
- you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy
- your ancestry is African, Caribbean, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Indian or Mediterranean
- sickle cell disease or trait runs in your family
- you don’t know whether you carry the trait
What your result may mean
High Sickle cell screen: what it may mean
A positive sickle cell screen may mean sickle hemoglobin (HbS) is present, as in sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease. The screen can’t tell those two apart, so hemoglobin electrophoresis may be needed as a follow-up. Trait alone may cause no health problems, but if both partners carry the gene, a child can be born with sickle cell disease, which is why this can matter before or during pregnancy. People with sickle cell disease may get pain episodes, tiredness or anemia. Rarely, a false positive can happen, which is another reason a second test can help.
Low Sickle cell screen: what it may mean
A negative sickle cell screen may point away from sickle cell trait or disease, but it can’t rule them out on its own. A recent blood transfusion, severe anemia or testing a baby in the first months of life can make a false negative possible. The screen can’t look for other inherited blood conditions, such as thalassemia, so a clinician may suggest a broader test before or during pregnancy. A negative result may bring no symptoms to watch for, and your family history can still be worth sharing.
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These notes provide context and do not diagnose a condition. Not yet available in NY, NJ, RI, HI, ND, SD or WV.