Collegiate athletes are now required to be tested for the sickle-cell anemia trait, prove they’ve already been tested or sign a special form declining the test, according to new measure adopted by the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s Division I Legislative Council, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported.
The condition, which is more common among African Americans, can lead athletes to experience exercise-related symptoms that can prove fatal in some circumstances. While the measure is new, most Division I-A universities already screen for the condition, the Chronicle reported.