Blood donation. When you donate blood, the blood goes through multiple tests, including blood type. After you've donated with the Red Cross, you're given a blood donor card which will give you access to your blood type when they test it. This takes a few days and is free. If you've donated in the past, you may be able to check your blood type on their website. Saliva test. For those squeamish of needles, a saliva test can help you determine your blood type without having to draw blood.
Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter. This means that the test is effective for most, but not everyone. These tests can be found online and cost more than the traditional, at-home blood tests. She explains that medical teams don't rely on you sharing your blood type before any major operation or blood transfusion; they'll test your blood type beforehand. Pregnant women, in particular, routinely undergo blood-type tests to determine their Rh factor, and whether it is compatible with their baby.
If a new mom has Rh-negative blood and their baby is found to be developing Rh-positive blood types, it could cause a number of complications , including miscarriage , if it's not caught early during pregnancy. Doctors can often administer what's called a RhoGAM shot to offset any problems with Rh compatibility.
The easiest way is to quickly check your birth certificate, since blood type is sometimes listed in birth records, Dr. Lee says. Ask your doctor for a blood type test: A simple lab test from your primary care physician can reveal your blood type, Lowe-Payne says. So patients will most likely have to pay out of pocket if they request blood work solely to discover their blood type. If you've previously had any blood work done with your primary care provider, they may already have your blood type on file.
This is also true for any trip to an urgent care clinic, like CVS' MinuteClinic, if you've had blood drawn during an unplanned visit. A request to your physician's office never hurts! Some ask for a small amount of blood from a finger prick or saliva. Food and Drug Administration. These tests are not intended to be used for blood donation or transfusion testing.
Tests without FDA clearance or approval may not offer truly accurate results, the spokesperson says, and you may also have trouble reading test results yourself. At-home kits available from retailers like Amazon this kit averages 4-stars with more than 2, reviews could provide you an idea of a general blood type, Lowe-Payne explains, but she isn't sure of their accuracy. The most accurate home tests may come from laboratories that conduct blood work on behalf of your provider, such as QuestDirect.
How common or rare a blood type is varies by race, ethnic background, and what part of the world you live in. In the U. AB negative is the rarest.
What about the rest of the blood types? The Stanford Blood Center provides these statistics. So if a woman with OO alleles has a baby with a man who has BB alleles, the baby will have a B blood type. Can a baby ever have a blood type different from its parents? What other combinations can occur?
Emory University School of Medicine put together this chart:. Your Rh factor is also inherited, and like your blood type, you inherit one of two Rh alleles from each parent. So a baby receiving an Rh positive allele from each parent will be Rh positive, and one receiving a negative Rh allele from each parent will be Rh negative.
Whether or not your baby will be Rh positive or negative will depend on what is also passed down by the other parent. Squires , MD, Ph. I know that I am blood group A, but if I need blood, tests are going to be done first to make sure of my type and that safe red blood cell units are selected for my transfusion.
According to Memorial Blood Centers , safe combinations include:. Without any antigens or Rh D factor, O- blood is compatible with all other blood types. According to the American Red Cross , every two seconds someone in this country needs a blood transfusion. That makes blood donations particularly critical.
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