You can find out if you have the trait by contacting your GP and asking for a simple, free blood test." Meanwhile, anyone with a sickle cell 'trait' does not suffer from the disease but carries one of the causative genes. In the UK, most people who carry the sickle cell trait have an African or Caribbean family background." If you're keen to find out if you carry the sickle cell trait, you can request a free blood test from your GP. ‌The NHS further clarifies: "In parts of England where sickle cell disease is more common, pregnant women are offered a blood test to check if they carry sickle cell.