Do You Know Your Blood Type?

[Katie M]

It will only be in your records if there was a specific reason you had a blood type done, such as before surgery. Otherwise, it's not part of a routine blood panel.

What if it's an emergency, though? Is there enough time for a test?

 

[GoldyCat]

What if it's an emergency, though? Is there enough time for a test?

If it's a true emergency they'll give O- blood until they can get your own blood type.

 

[Jem]

The only time we did a blood type on the babies was when the mother was Rh negative.

Maybe that's why I've always known, as my mom is Rh neg.

What if it's an emergency, though? Is there enough time for a test?

As GoldyCat mentioned, they will simply give O- in a real emergency. That's why they call them (O- people) the "universal donor's", and why they really encourage O- people to give blood. But testing your blood type only takes a couple of minutes.
They will prick your finger and depending one how it reacts to "the solutions" they can tell immediately what type you have. At least that's what I remember when I gave blood in high school. I told them what type I had, but they still tested anyway.

 

[maggiedemi]

I'm O Positive. I've always known my blood type, they had us learn it in school.
I got a blood transfusion when I was a baby and one this past August.

 

[sweet jane flash]

Yes, I've known it since I was in grade school, but I've never yet needed to reveal it.

 

[aliceneko]

Nope, I've never known mine.

Fun fact: many East Asian cultures believe that blood types - particularly in Japan and Korea - define a person's personality and compatibility with others, like star signs in Western culture. The popular theory originated in Japan in the 1970s.
Blood type personality theory - Wikipedia

 

[goingpostal]

I'm A+, haven't given blood in awhile because of my work schedule but that's how I know.

 

[Willowy]

Nope, I've never known mine.

Fun fact: many East Asian cultures believe that blood types - particularly in Japan and Korea - define a person's personality and compatibility with others, like star signs in Western culture. The popular theory originated in Japan in the 1970s.
Blood type personality theory - Wikipedia

I grew up in Japan, and all of the little things they had for kids to fill out (like putting your name in your notebook or whatever) would include a space for your blood type. I never knew why until just a few years ago. Nobody ever explained it to me while I lived in Japan, oddly. Also, it doesn't make much sense to Americans, who are almost all O or A, but in Japan the blood types are much more evenly divided.

 

[cassiopea]

A+

Life as a sick kid going through a kajillion major surgeries growing up helped me know early on (Support Kidney Disease Awareness! )

 

[Mother Dragon]

I don't know mine. I know I should find out, though. My husband's is O neg and he has given blood for years, every 6-8 weeks, since it's a universal blood type and it's always needed. He's always sending me happy emails each time he goes, as they laud him for being the donor at each blood drive for having given the most donations. Around Thanksgiving, his tally was 85 pints of blood given -- the other day, he sent me his 86-pints-given email. They give him a little pin for each gallon he gives, lol. I love that guy.

Thank your husband for me. I got two pints of blood last week. If it weren't for people like him I wouldn't survive. He's a real hero.

 

[maggiedemi]

Don't you have to know your blood type for an emergency? That's one of the first questions they asked me before I went into surgery. What would happen if I didn't know it?

 

[Jem]

That's one of the first questions they asked me before I went into surgery. What would happen if I didn't know it?

They would just give you O neg. as it's the universal blood type that everyone can receive. But they can save that for the emergencies where people don't know or are unconscious, so they will ask if they can.

 

[aliceneko]

I grew up in Japan, and all of the little things they had for kids to fill out (like putting your name in your notebook or whatever) would include a space for your blood type. I never knew why until just a few years ago. Nobody ever explained it to me while I lived in Japan, oddly. Also, it doesn't make much sense to Americans, who are almost all O or A, but in Japan the blood types are much more evenly divided.

Interesting. I guess they presumed you'd already know if you live there?

 

[Willowy]

Interesting. I guess they presumed you'd already know if you live there?

I think it's just so average, so ingrained in the culture, that they don't think to explain it. Like if someone from a culture that doesn't celebrate birthdays asked "why does this ask for my birthday?" you probably wouldn't go into a detailed explanation of Western birthday celebrations. You'd most likely just say something like "so we know when your birthday is" and not consider that they wouldn't understand WHY you'd care about their birthday.

 

[glittercat]

B+ here.