Vitalant logo
  • Donate
    • Donate Blood
    • Start health history questionnaire
    • Update an appointment
    • Donation types
    • Update an appointment
    • Locations
  • Learn
    • Donate Blood
    • Impact of donation
    • Update an appointment
    • Blood types
    • Update an appointment
    • Donation process
    • Update an appointment
    • Research
  • Eligibility
    • Donate Blood
    • Basic Requirements
    • Update an appointment
    • Additional eligibility requirements
  • Host a blood drive
    • Donate Blood
    • Learn about hosting
    • Update an appointment
    • Apply to host a blood drive
    • Update an appointment
    • Manage your blood drive
  • Support Us
    • Donate Blood
    • Make a Gift
    • Update an appointment
    • Volunteer
    • Update an appointment
    • Share your story
    • Update an appointment
    • Partnerships
  • Hospitals
    • Donate Blood
    • Customer services
Search  |   Careers  |   DONATE NOW
Log In
Vitalant logo
Search  |   Careers  |   DONATE NOW
Log In
  • Donate
    • Donate Blood
    • Start health history questionnaire
    • Update an appointment
    • Donation types
    • Update an appointment
    • Locations
  • Learn
    • Donate Blood
    • Impact of donation
    • Update an appointment
    • Blood types
    • Update an appointment
    • Donation process
    • Update an appointment
    • Research
  • Eligibility
    • Donate Blood
    • Basic Requirements
    • Update an appointment
    • Additional eligibility requirements
  • Host a blood drive
    • Donate Blood
    • Learn about hosting
    • Update an appointment
    • Apply to host a blood drive
    • Update an appointment
    • Manage your blood drive
  • Support Us
    • Donate Blood
    • Make a Gift
    • Update an appointment
    • Volunteer
    • Update an appointment
    • Share your story
    • Update an appointment
    • Partnerships
  • Hospitals
    • Donate Blood
    • Customer services

YOUR LOCATION

Search
  • Donate

    • Donate Blood
    • Start health history questionnaire
    • Update an appointment
    • Donation types
    • Update an appointment
    • Locations
  • Learn

    • Donate Blood
    • Impact of donation
    • Update an appointment
    • Blood types
    • Update an appointment
    • Donation process
    • Update an appointment
    • Research
  • Eligibility

    • Donate Blood
    • Basic Requirements
    • Update an appointment
    • Additional eligibility requirements
  • Host a blood drive

    • Donate Blood
    • Learn about hosting
    • Update an appointment
    • Apply to host a blood drive
    • Update an appointment
    • Manage your blood drive
  • Support Us

    • Donate Blood
    • Make a Gift
    • Update an appointment
    • Volunteer
    • Update an appointment
    • Share your story
    • Update an appointment
    • Partnerships
  • Hospitals

    • Donate Blood
    • Customer services
Careers

Let’s Talk About
A
Blood Type
​
Let’s Talk About
A
Blood Type

Type A Blood Donors

You’re an A blood type – either A-positive (A+) or A-negative (A-). But what exactly does that mean for you and the patients who can receive your blood? Let’s explore some blood type A facts.

The two A blood types are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to how common they are in the U.S. blood donor population. A-negative blood type is relatively rare, with only 1 out of 17 people having this blood type. A-positive, on the other hand, is the second most common blood type, with 1 in 3 Americans having this blood type.

Caucasians are the most likely to have A blood type, followed closely by people whose ancestry is Native American, according to the ADRP.

Infographic-blood-typeB.png

 

Both A Blood Types Are Always Needed

Because A-negative is relatively rare, it’s important that donors with this blood type donate on a regular basis. You can double your impact by Powering Up to a Power Red donation.

Blood type A-positive donors can make the biggest impact by donating platelets, which most often help cancer patients. Platelets must be transfused within 7 days, and there is a constant need to replenish the supply.

Of course, all blood types are needed for patients, and the rarest type is the one not on the shelf when someone needs it. Schedule your donation today, and encourage a friend of any blood type to join you!


Donate Now

Blood-type-a-photo.jpg

Why Blood Types Are Important

When patients need a blood transfusion, it’s important they receive a blood type compatible with their own. Otherwise, the transfusion may do more harm than good.

Thankfully, in the many centuries since blood transfusions were first attempted, doctors and researchers discovered our different blood types and determined each type’s compatibility with other types.

How Blood Types Are Determined

Two antigens on your red blood cells determine type: A and B. When only the A antigen is present, you are blood type A. Same is true for the B antigen and blood type B. When both are present, that is called blood type AB, and when neither are present, it’s called blood type O. Visit our blood types blog if you want to read more.

There is also a protein called the Rh factor which, if present, makes your blood positive (+) and if not, your blood type is negative (-). The eight most common blood types are a result of the different combinations of A, B, O and the Rh factor — A+, A-, B+, B-, O+, O-, AB+, AB-.

Read on for more A blood type facts such as compatibility:

B negative facts
  • 6% of the population has type A-negative blood.
  • Type A-negative blood can be transfused to all A and AB types.
  • A patient with type A-negative blood may receive a transfusion from types A-negative and O-negative.
  • The ideal donation types for type A-negative are whole blood or Power Red.
 
B positive facts
  • 32% of the U.S. population has type A-positive blood.
  • Type A-positive blood can be transfused to types A-positive and AB-positive patients.
  • A patient with type A-positive blood can receive transfusion from types A-positive, A-negative, O-positive, and O-negative.
  • The ideal donation types for type A-positive are whole blood and platelets.

About Us
Purpose & network
What we offer
Make a Gift
Research
History
Leaders

News & events
News
Vitalant Blog
Local events & partnerships
Tours
Recognition programs

Resources
FAQs
Donor forms
Health history questionnaire
Contact us
Careers

Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Youtube icon LinkedIn TikTok

877-25-VITAL

AppleAppStore
GoogleAppStore
© 2023 Vitalant. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
Vitalant logo
Research | Vitalant Health

 

Disaster Recovery
Please enter your zip code to begin.



Then, use any donate button to schedule an appointment.

We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance and remember website preferences. By using this site, you consent to these cookies. For more information about cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.