Comment

Comment by Tracy H. on September 27, 2009 at 12:19am

I also did not agree with these recommendations to test. It is a direct target towards African-American players. Then once tested positive for sickle cell trait, then what???... they will be tossed to the side and left out of the sports altogether? Especially since the gene mutation has not been proven as the cause of deaths.

Comment by Sickle Cell Warrior on September 17, 2009 at 8:15am

I can see the potential for this becoming very, very bad. Remember in Xmen, when they started 'screening' mutants. And then it turned out that they were creating a database to segregate them with? That's what I first thought of on reading this article. I can understand why some people are alarmed with SC trait players collapsing or dying, but if you link the sickle cell trait to this, then you are automatically increasing the stigma that sickle cell patients already have. You're pretty much saying that because we have this trait, we aren't going to be good enough to play sports with the 'normal people'. This article really rubbed me the wrong way.

Thanks for sharing it. What did you think about it?

I just have to add this quote that was towards the end of the article ---we are supposed to end the discrimination not further perpetuate it.

The United States has a long history of discrimination against people with sickle cell trait, said Troy Duster, a sociologist at UC Berkeley and New York University. In the 1960s, people who tested positive weren't allowed into the Air Force Academy, and into the '70s people were denied insurance or certain jobs, he said.

It's irresponsible to screen people when there's little scientific evidence that the gene causes death and no specific precautions athletes can take to protect themselves, Duster said.