Who Should Donate Blood?

People come in all different shapes, sizes and blood types. The vast majority of blood types fall into one of the major ABO groups — A, B, AB and O.

Giving blood is one of the most direct ways a healthy person can save a life as it is needed every two seconds in the United States for a variety of patients, such as babies, leukemia patients, burn victims and sickle cell patients, to name a few. It’s important for people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds to consider giving blood to ensure patients with rare blood types get the lifesaving donations they need.

What determines your blood type? 

Your blood type is determined by the genes you inherit from your parents. It depends on the surface markers, called antigens, present on your red blood cells. Blood type is determined by the presence or absence of A antigens, B antigens and the Rh factor (Rh-D antigen). Together, these inherited traits determine whether your blood type is A, B, AB or O, and whether it is positive or negative. There are more than 600 known antigens beyond A and B types.

Why does blood donor diversity matter?

Not all blood is interchangeable. The diversity of blood donors helps meet the needs of patients who require closely matched blood types. Some blood types are very rare and found almost exclusively within specific racial and ethnic communities.

When patients, especially those with sickle cell disease, need frequent transfusions, closely matched blood from a donor with a similar background significantly reduces the risk of serious complications. This is called phenotypic matching. A donor pool that reflects the full diversity of the patient population means better, safer care for everyone.

Which blood types are rare and who has them?

According to the American Red Cross, the following rare blood types are more commonly found within specific communities:

For example, U-negative and Duffy-negative blood types occur almost exclusively in the African American community. Sickle cell patients who carry these types depend entirely on donors from that same community. There is simply no substitute.

Does ethnicity affect blood type matching?

In certain cases, yes. While standard ABO and Rh matching apply to most transfusions, some rare antigens are found primarily or exclusively within specific racial and ethnic groups. For patients who need phenotypically matched blood, meaning the donor's blood closely mirrors the patient's antigen profile, a donor from the same ethnic background may be the only compatible option so the patients face a significantly lower risk of developing antibodies that complicate future transfusions.

For patients with rare blood types, finding a compatible donor requires a donor pool that reflects the patient population. That is why recruiting donors from all backgrounds is a medical priority.

Why is type O blood always in high demand?

Type O blood holds a special place in emergency medicine. Type O negative blood is the universal donor type, meaning it can be transfused to patients regardless of their blood type, making it the go-to choice in emergency situations before a patient's blood type is confirmed.

The demand for type O blood is consistently high, and it’s routinely in short supply. Here is the other part of why:

• 57% of Hispanic people are type O
• 51% of African American people are type O
• 45% of white people are type O

Every unit of type O donated has the potential to save a life before a doctor even knows a patient's blood type.

What happens if patients with rare blood types cannot find a match?

Without a compatible donor, these patients face a higher risk of developing alloantibodies, an immune response to incompatible blood that makes future transfusions more dangerous and harder to manage. For patients with conditions like sickle cell disease, this can have serious long-term consequences. Expanding the diversity of the blood donor community is one of the most direct ways to protect these patients and improve their outcomes.

Who can donate blood?

All healthy adults are encouraged to donate blood. Ochsner Blood Center welcomes volunteers who meet the following criteria:

• Are at least 17 years old
• Weigh at least 110 pounds
• Are fully recovered from cold or flu symptoms for at least 72 hours
• Have not had dental work (including a cleaning) in the past 72 hours
• Have not donated whole blood in the past eight weeks (56 days)
• Have not received a blood transfusion in the past three months
• Have not lived with someone who has had hepatitis in the past three months
• Have had no tattoos in the past three months from a facility that is not regulated by the state of Louisiana
• Have had no piercings in the past three months using non-single use equipment

A note on COVID-19: Per Ochsner Blood Bank policy, donors are asked to postpone donation for 28 days if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have had close contact with a suspected or confirmed case.

If you meet these criteria, your donation is needed and welcomed. The entire process typically takes about an hour, and you can give again every 56 days.

Were you previously deferred from donating blood? 

Donors who were previously deferred may now be eligible.  Donor eligibility criteria were recently updated.  Donors who were previously deferred due to residency or travel restrictions, serving in military or sexual activity may now be eligible.  Additionally, some medications and clinical conditions may now be eligible. If interested in the donor re-entry pathway, come to the Ochsner Blood Center Main Location near Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans and ask for a “Sample Only” visit.  The “Sample Only” visit is not currently available at the mobile locations. 

If you are healthy, meet the eligibility criteria and have not donated recently, now is the right time to give. Your blood type and your background may be exactly what a patient needs.

Learn more about donating blood at Ochsner Blood Bank and take the step that could save a life today.