What is Your Blood Type?

A Positive - As an A positive, you represent 34 percent of the population. Your blood can be given to other A and AB positive patients – 37 percent of the population. One donation opportunity we would like you to consider is apheresis – donating platelets. Unlike red cells, platelets do not necessarily need to be type-specific—they can go to most anyone in need. Your platelet donation takes about two hours, and you get to relax and watch a movie of your choice in the process. It is also important to note that your one apheresis donation provides enough platelets to equal those of eight to ten whole blood donations. By donating platelets, which aid clotting, you are providing a life-saving component for patients with some forms of cancer, patients who have received bone marrow or organ transplants, and patients with critical blood diseases.

A Negative - As an A negative, you represent 6.3 percent of the population. Your blood can be given to other A negative, A positive, and AB positive patients in need – 46.1 percent of the population. Because your red cells can go to so many patients in our community, we encourage you to donate every 56 days, up to six times per year.

B Positive - As a B positive, you represent 8.5 percent of the population. Your blood can only be given to other B and AB positive patients in need – just 11.9 percent of the population. One donation opportunity we would like you to consider is apheresis – donating platelets. Unlike red cells, platelets do not necessarily need to be type-specific—they can go to almost anyone in need. Your platelet donation takes about two hours, and you get to relax and watch a movie of your choice in the process. It is also important to note that your one apheresis donation provides enough platelets to equal those of eight to ten whole blood donations. By donating platelets, which aid clotting, you are providing a life-saving product for patients with some forms of cancer, patients who have received bone marrow or organ transplants, and patients with critical blood diseases.

B Negative - As a B negative, you represent 1.5 percent of the population. Your blood can be given to other B negative, B positive, AB negative and AB positive patients in need -- 14 percent of the population. Because you represent just 1.5 percent of the population, and your red cells can go to 14 percent of the population, we would like to encourage you to donate every 56 days, up to six times per year.

O Positive - As an O positive, you represent 37.4 percent of the population, which places you in the most common blood group. Your blood can be given to other O, A, B and AB positive patients in need – 85 percent of the population. As you can see, your blood is greatly needed! We encourage you to donate every 56 days, up to six times per year.

O Negative - As an O negative, you are very special. You represent 6.6 percent of the population. Your blood can be given to any patient in need, regardless of blood type. You are known as a universal donor. All emergency air transport vehicles carry O negative units for emergency transfusion to patients. We invite you to donate every 56 days, up to six times per year.

AB Positive - As an AB positive, you represent 3.4 percent of the population. Your red cells can only be given to other AB positive in need. However, your plasma can be given to any patient, regardless of blood type. We encourage you to consider donating plasma. Plasma donations take about 45 minutes, and the product collected is invaluable to the survival of burn patients, trauma patients and patients with heart disease and cancer.

AB Negative - As an AB negative, you represent just .6 percent of the population, which places you in the rarest blood group. Your red cells can only be given to other AB negative and AB positive patients in need. However, your plasma can be given to any patients, regardless of blood type. We encourage you to consider donating plasma. Plasma donations take about 45 minutes, and the product collected is invaluable to the survival of burn patients, trauma victims, and patients with heart disease and cancer.