Content area
Full Text
The best blood match for patients often comes from donors of the same race or similar ethnicity.
Together we must increase the number of blood donors from all racial and ethnic groups. Sickle cell disease occurs in 1 in 365 births of babies of African descent and 1 in 16,300 Latino births. The American Red Cross and supporters like you can help connect with donors that best meet the needs of patients of all backgrounds.
There are many blood types
Blood types are inherited, much like eye color, and are determined by antigens carried by red blood cells. Antigens determine one's blood type. There are more than 600 known antigens, and some antigens are unique to specific racial and ethnic groups.
* Most blood types fall into one of the major ABO groups, but for some patients with rare blood types, blood must be matched even more closely, beyond the primary A, B, O and AB blood types.
* As a blood donor, it is not necessary to know your blood type to donate blood.
* O negative blood can be used in transfusions for any blood type-people with O negative blood are universal donors! About half of all African Americans and more than half of all Latinos in the U.S. have type O blood.
* A single sickle cell patient can require multiple blood transfusions per year throughout their lifetime to treat complications from sickle cell disease. Closely matched blood from a donor of the same race...