Why is Type A Blood so Important
Here's Why Blood Type Matters
The importance of knowing your blood type is to prevent the risk of receiving an incompatible blood type if a transfusion is needed. If the wrong blood types are mixed, it can lead to a clumping of blood cells that can be potentially fatal. A blood transfusion can be needed for many reasons, including: surgeries, cancer treatment, traumatic injuries, delivery difficulties during labor, and anemia.
Learn More About Your Blood Type Compatibility
Type A Negative
- Only 1 in 16 people have A negative blood.
- If you have A negative blood you can donate to anyone with a blood type of A or AB regardless of the positive or negative, however if you have A negative blood you can only receive A- or O- blood.
Type A Positive
- 1 in 3 people are A positive, which is why it is one of the most common blood types.
- As you can imagine A positive blood is in high demand, because it is presence in a large percentage of the population.
- Patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments also have a high demand for the platelets from those with the A positive blood type.
Did You Know?
21 million blood components are transfused in the US each year.
To meet demands, replenishing the supply of the right blood type is crucial.
Blood can’t be manufactured and the only supply comes from donors.
Why Donations Are So Important
Latest studies have shown that someone in the US needs a blood transfusion every 2 seconds each day in the United States. The average person can only donate 1 pint of whole blood in a single donation and the shelf life is only 21 to 35 days, which is why the need to keep replenishing the supply to meet demand is great.