# I don't know my own blood type. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 12, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569 "2006-05-12T20:54:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/21 "2006-05-13T02:16:08Z")
> [@dwyr](#): > > I not only know my own blood type I also know my antigen phenotypes, so nyah. > (This is what happens when a blood banker gets bored in the lab one night.) Been there, done that. And I have fun blood. My co-workers have (jokingly) forbidden me to make autologous donations if I ever need surgery, because I’ll blow up the computer. I’m a weak D phenotype. A pos to give, A neg to receive. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/22 "2006-05-13T02:52:21Z")
Many-time blood donor here. O positive, and my twist is that I’m also something called CMV Negative. Apparently. Seems that there’s some semi-common virus(?) that I never caught as a kid, so never developed antibodies for it, so my blood is better for some super-sensitive types… so I’ve been told. Give blood, if they’ll let you. If you don’t get a card with your blood type on it, call them back and bug them. But as many times as I’ve given blood (lost count), do they take my word on my blood type? Do they take my word that I can’t have been exposed to HIV? Noooo… And that’s a good thing, all things considered. Regardless, give blood. It’s a really good thing. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/23 "2006-05-13T03:25:45Z")
Civil Guy, sounds like you and I have something in common, right down to the CMV Negative. Unfortunately it isn’t really a good idea for me to donate blood because I have such low iron counts. Makes me feel bad, that they need it and I can’t give it. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/24 "2006-05-13T04:32:59Z")
Im A+, like my mother and my sister. Dad’s O-, and the Red Cross LOVES it when he donates. Ive tried donating twice, but I have allergy problems year round so they never wanted to take anything incase my sniffly nose was a virus rather than allergies. I only know my blood type because my mom’s paraniod and wanted us to know in the case of an emergency. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/25 "2006-05-13T04:37:50Z")
A+ here. ARC sent me a nice little card with my type on it the first time I ever donated. Unfortunately, although I try to donate regularly, it’s always a crapshoot as to whether my iron levels will be high enough. CMV Negative means you have never been infected with cytomegalovirus (a herpes virus), which is largely inconsequential when contracted by healthy people but very dangerous if contracted by an immunocompromised person. If you’re CMV Negative, your blood is great for babies and burn victims! ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/26 "2006-05-13T05:31:48Z")
A+. Which I always liked since they were so fun to get in school. So’s my Mom. But I only found out when I was in my mid 20s and used to give blood. As I sat there I’d read whatever I could except the magazines they offered. Lots of interesting stuff there like my body temp was usually a little over a degree lower then normal and for 200 pounds man I often barely passed the iron count test. I’d give now but can’t. ---
**Author:** ![mrald](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mrald](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrald)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/27 "2006-05-13T06:33:43Z")
No clue what my blood type is, but I do know that my dad went through his entire military service with the wrong type on his dog tags. Thank the Lord nothing major happened to him. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/28 "2006-05-13T14:38:30Z")
I have no idea what mine is. I remember having a blood test as a child, so I asked my mum what my type is but she can’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/29 "2006-05-13T15:59:24Z")
I just found out my husband and both his parents are universal donors (O neg) I am my attitude (B pos) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/30 "2006-05-13T16:05:41Z")
BTW, every baby is typed at birth. Mom’s are typed before the baby is born, because Rh negative mom’s must get [RhoGAM](http://folsomobgyn.com/rh_testing_and_rhogam.htm) so the baby’s blood isn’t destroyed ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/31 "2006-05-13T16:26:05Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > BTW, every baby is typed at birth. Mom’s are typed before the baby is born, because Rh negative mom’s must get [RhoGAM](http://folsomobgyn.com/rh_testing_and_rhogam.htm) so the baby’s blood isn’t destroyed I was told when my daughter was born that they would not need to test her blood type because they tested mine and found out that I was Rh positive (I’m an A+). Apparently, it only matters if the mother is Rh negative…if the mother is Rh positive, no treatment is necessary no matter what the baby’s blood type is, so it’s an unnecessary test. Yet another HMO cost-saving measure, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/32 "2006-05-13T17:23:17Z")
I don’t know this one off the top of my head, but I just checked the little card the ARC sent me- O+. I should donate more often; I have so much iron the last nurse who checked it made jokes about me chewing on nails. Does anyone know what portion of the US population is +? ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/33 "2006-05-13T18:11:21Z")
Another A+, cmv negative. I gave blood 35 times in my life, could have done more, but too caught up in various aspects of life. Now I can’t anymore. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/34 "2006-05-13T18:15:47Z")
> [@MoodIndigo1](#): > > Another A+, cmv negative. > > I gave blood 35 times in my life, could have done more, but too caught up in various aspects of life. Now I can’t anymore. By the way, as 35 sounds kind of like a number pulled out of a hat, I know it because I received a note from Hema-Quebec (replaced Red Cross for blood donations in Quebec). ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/35 "2006-05-13T21:39:30Z")
> [@mrald](#): > > No clue what my blood type is, but I do know that my dad went through his entire military service with the wrong type on his dog tags. Thank the Lord nothing major happened to him. They test your blood again before transfusing you anyway. They have to. I can’t imagine that it would be any different in the miltary. **appleciders** , you can look [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_type#Rh_factor_frequency) for info about blood type frequency. Scroll down a little to see the ABO group frequency. Keep in mind that the gene frequencies vary quite a bit depending on ethnic background, too. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/36 "2006-05-14T05:31:54Z")
I have no idea what my blood type is, or my eye perscription is. I do have a piece pf paper with my perscription on it in my wallet, but nothing with my blood type. ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/37 "2006-05-14T05:49:30Z")
So, strange, just in the last week I’ve been wondering what my blood type is, and why I don’t have the slightest clue what it is. I guess **Asimovian** knew I was wondering 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/38 "2006-05-14T06:02:09Z")
Am I the only person who has my blood type tattooed in block letters beside my cephalic vein, just in case? 🙂 ---
**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:** [May 14, 2006, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/39 "2006-05-14T06:07:07Z")
I, and all my siblings, are AB+ which is supposedly kind of rare, and apparently universal. I can receive any blood, but my blood can only be given to other AB+ ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569/40 "2006-05-14T07:24:54Z")
I’m either O- or O+, I forget. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-my-own-blood-type/356569.md?page=3)