Rare Blood Types
Red blood cells carry markers called antigens on their surface that determine one’s blood type. There are more than 600 known antigens besides A and B. Certain blood types are unique to specific racial and ethnic groups. Therefore, it is essential that donor diversity match patient diversity. For example, U-negative and Duffy-negative blood types are unique to the African American community. People with sickle cell disease and these blood types rely on blood donors who are Black when they need a transfusion.
When blood is phenotypically matched (i.e., close blood type match), patients are at a lower risk of developing complications from transfusion therapy. For this reason, it is extremely important to increase the number of available blood donors from all ethnic and racial groups.
Some Rare Blood Types by Ethnic Group
Get More Information On Blood Type Compatibility
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