# Why is type B blood more rare than type A blood? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-type-b-blood-more-rare-than-type-a-blood/218999 "2003-12-14T21:25:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-type-b-blood-more-rare-than-type-a-blood/218999/21 "2011-07-25T00:30:57Z")
> [@loinburger](#): > > Why is type B blood more rare than type A blood? Grade inflation. Blame No Child Left Behind. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-type-b-blood-more-rare-than-type-a-blood/218999/22 "2011-07-25T19:37:52Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Just pointing out that this thread is eight years old, and some incredibly handsome intelligent guy explained way back then why a dominant gene could be rare. Strange, I don’t recall making any such post. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-type-b-blood-more-rare-than-type-a-blood/218999/23 "2011-07-26T01:52:12Z")
> [@loinburger](#): > > Is there any advantage to being, say, O+, or B-, or whatever, aside from the ability to receive transfusions from a greater or lesser number of people? As an O-neg, I used to get called all the time by three blood donation agencies. (My 8-week donation exclusion from one agency wasn’t known to the others.) So, if you consider getting unsolicited calls a disadvantage, then that’s one for having O-neg. 😛 On top of being O-neg, I also haven’t been exposed to some virus that most people have been. (It’s innocuous to adults and older children, but dangerous for newborns.) So my blood is especially useful in NICUs. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-type-b-blood-more-rare-than-type-a-blood/218999/24 "2011-07-26T09:05:18Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Just pointing out that this thread is eight years old, and some incredibly handsome intelligent guy explained way back then why a dominant gene could be rare. Hey man, zombies need blood too. I think. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-type-b-blood-more-rare-than-type-a-blood/218999/25 "2011-07-27T18:48:26Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > As an O-neg, I used to get called all the time by three blood donation agencies. (My 8-week donation exclusion from one agency wasn’t known to the others.) So, if you consider getting unsolicited calls a disadvantage, then that’s one for having O-neg. 😛 > > On top of being O-neg, I also haven’t been exposed to some virus that most people have been. (It’s innocuous to adults and older children, but dangerous for newborns.) So my blood is especially useful in NICUs. that’s cytomegalovirus. i’m free of it too, as well as a B negative donor. it’s a wonder i have any blood left. when i turned 40 i got a tattoo on my ankle for my birthday. in indiana, and i assume all other states as well, there’s a standing year-long moratorium against donating when you get tatted. to the day the moratorium expired, the bloodsuckers called me to come in. 😃 here’s the dope straight from the horse’s mouth (American Red Cross). Blood Types and the Population: ``` Caucasians African American Hispanic Asian ``` O + 37% 47% 53% 39% O - 8% 4% 4% 1% A + 33% 24% 29% 27% A - 7% 2% 2% 0.5% B + 9% 18% 9% 25% B - 2% 1% 1% 0.4% AB + 3% 4% 2% 7% AB - 1% 0.3% 0.2% 0.1% [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-type-b-blood-more-rare-than-type-a-blood/218999.md?page=1)