# How do I find out my blood type? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2009, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692 "2009-02-20T07:28:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/21 "2009-02-20T18:26:08Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I once asked my doc the same question. He advised me to go to the Red Cross, give blood, and then look at the donor card mailed to me a couple of weeks later. > > I think he was just promoting blood donation. What, you didn’t read my post? ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/22 "2009-02-20T18:28:54Z")
Here’s an even [cheaper blood typing test](http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/8f3d/) for $9, although I somehow messed my test up when I was trying to determine my blood type so I’m still in the dark… ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/23 "2009-02-20T18:51:16Z")
[quote=“curlcoat, post:1, topic:486692”] I can’t do it thru being a blood donor because I am told I would have to give a “full bag” and since I clot like crazy, not likely to happen. [QUOTE] I don’t understand this. they certainly don’t NEED a full bag to do the test, were you clear about the purpose of your request? They may require a form from the organ donor service, but it should be doable. Alternatively, the organ donor sevice may be willing to cover and outpatient lab test, good luck. ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/24 "2009-02-20T20:04:34Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > If you don’t mind me riding on the coattails of this thread, can I ask knowledgeable Dopers if it possible to know your blood type if you know that of both parents? My husband and I are both A+. Does this mean our son must be too, or are there other possibilities? My mother was a middle school science teacher in the days before universal precautions, and she would have her students type themselves in class. She stopped doing that after a few years because there was always at least one kid who came up and said something along the lines of “I don’t get it, my mom is O and my dad is AB but I’m O. How can that be?” ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/25 "2009-02-21T01:28:08Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > Become a blood donor. Read the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/26 "2009-02-21T01:44:13Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Read the OP. Perhaps **curlcoat** could nibble on a tiny portion of rat poison before donating? 😃 OK, yeah, I know—not funny. Just ignore me. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/27 "2009-02-21T01:52:36Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > …so you’re not inverted. Are you sure? I am in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/28 "2009-02-21T01:58:45Z")
It’s a simple blood test. Just ask your doctor to do it. It’s less than $50. One thought - I think the testing to check compatibility for marrow donation is only $80 or so (from memory) - why not just do the whole enchilada? I don’t trust the ELDON cards that are most commonly used for home testing - too many instances of the lab test not lining up with the result (pregnant women in this case). ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/29 "2009-02-24T20:53:44Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > What, you didn’t read my post? Apparently not. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/30 "2009-02-24T20:58:02Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Apparently not. [sub]sobs quietly in a corner[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/31 "2009-02-24T21:23:24Z")
[quote=“outlierrn, post:23, topic:486692”] [quote=“curlcoat, post:1, topic:486692”] I can’t do it thru being a blood donor because I am told I would have to give a “full bag” and since I clot like crazy, not likely to happen. > [@](#): > > I don’t understand this. they certainly don’t NEED a full bag to do the test, were you clear about the purpose of your request? They may require a form from the organ donor service, but it should be doable. Alternatively, the organ donor sevice may be willing to cover and outpatient lab test, good luck. I’m sure I was clear that I needed to know my blood type, so it may be that they won’t do that test unless I give them a whole bag. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/32 "2009-02-24T21:25:28Z")
> [@Apricot](#): > > It’s a simple blood test. Just ask your doctor to do it. It’s less than $50. If that is all it is, I’ll just go do it at the lab. They couldn’t tell me the price, so I wasn’t willing to go in blind! ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/33 "2009-02-24T21:29:05Z")
I am A+. I read my medical file from my doctor.:o ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/34 "2009-02-24T22:33:44Z")
[quote=“curlcoat, post:31, topic:486692”] [quote=“outlierrn, post:23, topic:486692”] > [@curlcoat](#): > > I can’t do it thru being a blood donor because I am told I would have to give a “full bag” and since I clot like crazy, not likely to happen. > I’m sure I was clear that I needed to know my blood type, so it may be that they won’t do that test unless I give them a whole bag. Yeah, try them again. When I registered with the bone marrow network they had me stop by my local blood back to get a specimen drawn, no charge. If the blood bank thought you were just curious I could see their point, but not if you’re trying to cough up a kidney, they should bend over backward for you. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692/35 "2009-02-24T22:35:52Z")
> [@brossa](#): > > My mother was a middle school science teacher in the days before universal precautions, and she would have her students type themselves in class. She stopped doing that after a few years because there was always at least one kid who came up and said something along the lines of “I don’t get it, my mom is O and my dad is AB but I’m O. How can that be?” Remember that song we sing ‘one of these things is not like the other, which one doesn’t fit?’… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-out-my-blood-type/486692.md?page=1)