# What is your blood type? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028 "2010-02-15T03:09:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![breaking-reality](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a8b319/32.png) [@breaking-reality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaking-reality)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/41 "2010-02-15T20:30:58Z")
AB- ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/42 "2010-02-15T21:11:45Z")
I’m A-. I haven’t been able to donate blood for years due to high BP and almost yearly operations, but maybe some day I will be able to. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/43 "2010-02-15T22:42:35Z")
O- . At least according to the U.S. Army. ---
**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/44 "2010-02-15T23:40:40Z")
I’m O+, and I just donated on Valentine’s day. They did have signs up at LifeSource saying that AB+ donors should donate platelets via apheresis if possible. The technician and I were chatting about it, and you can donate platelets weekly, up to 24 times a year. Since LifeSource has a rewards program where you can earn points for each donation, apparently the platelet donors can earn an iPod Nano nearly once a year, whereas I’d take four years to do so via double red cell donations. I feel like I’m getting ripped off! ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/45 "2010-02-16T03:44:00Z")
Am I sure of my bloodgroup? Oh, positive! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/46 "2010-02-16T04:04:19Z")
O neg. I get calls to come in, too. The offspring are A pos, A neg, and O neg. I’ve got one gallon donated and am working on the second. The veins aren’t great, and I tend to low iron, so I have to do some prep days before going in, or they won’t be able to keep the blood flowing or I’ll be told to come back when my iron level is higher. The prep is vitamins, lots of water, and aerobic exercise, which isn’t a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/47 "2010-02-16T04:07:48Z")
AB+. I’m another greedy bastard. > [@BaconAndEggs](#): > > Can someone tell me or direct me to a website telling me what people have what blood? Like for example, do all African Americans have a certain blood type, Latinos, Europeans, Asians? Is there such a thing to know that a certain ethnic group would mostly have the same blood type? The only thing consistent that I know about is that East Asians are almost always + in the Rh factor. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/48 "2010-02-16T12:46:33Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > When you donate blood they send you a little card with your blood type on it. They also sell little kits (I’ve seen them on Amazon) that you can use at home. No idea whether those are accurate, though. > > I wish this poll had a multiple choice option, because I’m an oddity. Depending on the method of testing, I am either Aneg or Apos. I’m what’s called a weak D variant - the Rh antigen “D” is what makes you positive or negative. Have it, you’re positive; lack it, you’re negative. Well, in my case it’s like I have half of it. When they tested my blood at birth, I was called Aneg. Went through my whole life thinking that’s what I was. Then I donated blood in college and the card I got back said Apos. When I went into med tech school and had classes in Blood Bank, I learned about how the testing works and it all made a lot more sense. I was a useful source of educational tubes of blood for my classmates for a while. 🙂 Guess I’m going to have to tell the hubs, “Guess what, hun. You’re going to give BLOOD today! Mama needs to know your blood type!” ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/49 "2010-02-16T13:46:36Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > On the reverse side, my blood can only be given to other AB+ people. I wonder how much of what I donate is wasted? A whole blood donation is generally split into fractions of plasma (which gets frozen and is good for a year) and red cells. Your red cells can only be given to another ABpos person, but the plasma situation is reversed: _anyone_ can take type AB plasma. So in an emergency situation, where we’d be giving someone units of Oneg blood before we can figure out their type - if that person needs plasma, we’d be thawing yours for him. You’re valuable too! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/50 "2010-02-16T13:55:16Z")
Obviously, I’m A+. ---
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/51 "2010-02-16T14:09:50Z")
O neg and woefully kept trying to donate, but every time triggered the good ol’ Vasovagal attack … to a point where I’m now “on the list” (ie not allowed). Feel like a wuss. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/52 "2010-02-16T14:18:50Z")
O-, universal doner, and then I get shafted if I ever need blood. I don’t think I’m CMV-, though…I’ve never been told one way or the other, so I assume if I was neg, they’d tell me and be hounding me even more to donate blood. I go in when I can, it’s just hard to find time. ---
**Author:** ![RoniaBorkason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RoniaBorkason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoniaBorkason)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/53 "2010-02-16T19:19:01Z")
A- Interestingly enough, my husband is AB+, so I have to get a special shot in a few weeks, so that I don’t get an immune reaction to our baby IF he turns out to have RH positive blood. I’m going to tell any RH- girls I have to not even date RH+ guys. I hate shots. My great grandmother was also RH negative, and they now think that that is why she lost 5 of her 10 pregnancies. Yay modern medicine!!! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/54 "2010-02-16T22:59:52Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > A whole blood donation is generally split into fractions of plasma (which gets frozen and is good for a year) and red cells. Your red cells can only be given to another ABpos person, but the plasma situation is reversed: _anyone_ can take type AB plasma. So in an emergency situation, where we’d be giving someone units of Oneg blood before we can figure out their type - if that person needs plasma, we’d be thawing yours for him. > > You’re valuable too! Adding to this, you start with the correct blood type when cross-matching, so _all_ donations are valuable. Us A’s need our A blood! 🙂 Yup, people wanting to have kids need to know their and their mates blood types (I think it’s part of pre-natal care at this point). Hemolytic disease of the newborn is serious shit. ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/55 "2010-02-17T02:02:58Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > AB + here > > Yay for being a universal acceptor! They can shove anything in me (in small quantities). On the reverse side, my blood can only be given to other AB+ people. I wonder how much of what I donate is wasted? Your red cells may not be in high demand, but AB+ is the universal donor for plasma. You may want to consider becoming a platelet and plasma donor. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/56 "2010-02-17T02:32:21Z")
O neg for lyfe, yo ---
**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 17, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/57 "2010-02-17T02:36:29Z")
I’m not sure how this usually works, genetically, but I, along with all my siblings and I think our Dad too, am AB+. This has some kind of “universal” value. I can’t remember if it’s for me, for others, or for both. EDIT: I should read the thread before posting. ---
**Author:** ![Rala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@Rala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rala)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/58 "2010-02-17T03:26:53Z")
A-. I’m happy about that because it’s the same as my grandmother’s. When she had leukemia and needed transfusions every month or so I liked to imagine her getting mine. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/59 "2010-02-17T03:44:05Z")
It’s interesting how many O negatives there are on the Board. Even more so, the AB negatives. In both case, way over-represented. I assume the high prevalence of O negatives is a reflection of how blood services identify and keep reminding/asking such people to give blood (i.e. you’ll be more likely to remember if you’re O negative). I’m not sure I understand why there’s so many AB negatives. Maybe it’s cause when they were tested, they were told what rare birds they were and that would probably promote recall. ETA: As noted earlier, compare the frequencies here with [the nice list on Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_type). ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028/60 "2010-02-17T03:58:24Z")
Mine is listed on my card as A Du POS. (I accidentally clicked A- in the poll. Ooops!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-blood-type/529028.md?page=4)