You Should Know Your Blood Type. Here’s Here’s How to Figure It Out

I recently filled out a volunteer application and was asked to provide mine blood type. Luckily, I knew straight away that I was Type O positive, but I wanted to find documentation to back that up. I called my mother to see if the blood type was on my birth certificate – no luck. I checked my doctor’s health portal – no luck either.

So how does someone find out their blood type if they don’t already know it?

Taking blood type into account can be crucial in understanding your health, including yours heart health — and of course to save you in an emergency — it’s important to know what kind of blood is running through your veins. Determining your blood type is actually relatively simple. Here are three easy ways to find out your blood type.

Also read: 5 Unexpected Reasons You Get So Many Mosquito Bites: Blood Type, Clothing, and More

Blood Type Basics

Blood type is classified into one of these eight groups: A positive, A negative, B positive, B negative, O positive, O negative, AB positive, and AB negative. But what determines the blood group and what does this blood group mean?

Blood types are determined by antigens – a substance that triggers an immune response – on the surface of red blood cells. There are ABO antigens that denote ABO blood groups. This is determined by the ABO gene. For example:

• Type A Blood group has the A antigen
• Type B Blood group has the B antigen
• Enter AB Blood group has both the A and B antigens
• Enter O does not produce A or B antigen

There are also Rhesus (Rh) antigens that determine whether blood is “positive” or “negative.” If you have Rh proteins on the surface of your red blood cells, you are Rh positive. If you don’t have Rh proteins on the surface of your red blood cells, you have negative blood.

How can you type your blood?

Here are three main ways to type your blood:

• Have your doctor do a blood test
• donate blood
• Use a home blood test

1. Clinical test

One of the easiest and most effective ways to determine blood type is to have your doctor do a test. A professional will draw blood and then perform two tests on the blood sample: forward typing and reverse typing.

In forward typing, the blood sample is mixed with antibodies against blood groups A and B. Your blood type can be determined based on whether the blood cells stick together when they are mixed with the antibodies. If your blood cells stick together when mixed with antibodies to type B blood, you have type B blood. If your blood cells stick together when mixed with antibodies to type A blood, you have type A blood.

To confirm the result, the next step is reverse typing, which means that the blood sample without red blood cells — called serum — is mixed with type A and type B blood cells. Type A blood contains antibodies against type B blood in the sample and type B blood contains antibodies against type A blood. Type O blood contains antibodies to type A and type B. So if there is sticking when mixing the serum with type B blood cells, you have type A blood, and if mixing the serum with blood cells of type A there is sticking Come on, you have type B blood.

I recommend calling your doctor’s office to find out how much an out-of-pocket blood type test will cost and if insurance will cover it.

2. Donate blood

It’s an easy — and free — way to determine blood type, but the results aren’t immediately visible.

If you are donating to a blood donation, you can simply ask the staff for your blood type. Blood is not usually tested immediately, so it can take up to a few weeks to get results.

3. Home blood test

Home testing is relatively straightforward. Typically, you first wipe your finger with an alcohol swab and then have to prick your finger with a disposable lancet to draw blood. Then wipe off blood on the card provided. Depending on how the blood dries, clots, or spreads, you can compare your bloodstain to a score card. Within minutes you can find out what blood type you have.

More for your well-being

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions about a medical condition or health goals.