PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — The Portsmouth City Health Department will hold a free sickle cell health screening for Shawnee State University student athletes on Aug. 17, helping them satisfy an NCAA testing requirement ahead of the fall season.
The screening will run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Shawnee State’s Bear Care Clinic, the health department said in a Facebook post. Athletes are asked to bring their insurance information.
The NCAA has required member schools to confirm student-athletes’ sickle cell trait status since 2010, when the program was first approved for Division I schools before being extended to Division II and III institutions. Since Aug. 1, 2022, athletes in their initial season of eligibility have no longer had the option to sign a waiver declining the testing, meaning they must either undergo a sickle cell solubility test or provide documentation of a prior result. Sickle cell trait is a genetic condition that, under rare circumstances of extreme exertion, has been linked to serious complications in athletes, and the NCAA requires coaches and athletic trainers be made aware of a player’s status so precautions can be taken.
The Bear Care Clinic, operated through a partnership between Shawnee State and Compass Community Health, provides primary care, first aid and mental health services to any student enrolled for at least one credit hour, regardless of their ability to pay.
The health department, based at 605 Washington St. in Portsmouth, offers primary care, immunizations and other public health services on a sliding fee scale for uninsured residents. Questions about the screening event can be directed to the department at 740-353-8863.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Portsmouth City Health Department.
