Fast Facts about Donating Blood

• Approximately 5 percent of the population in the United States donates blood.
  
  
• Approximately sixty percent of the United States population is age eligible to donate blood.
  
  
• In the United States, a blood transfusion is needed almost every 2 seconds.
  
  
• Approximately 34,000 units of blood are used each day in the United States.
  
  
• Approximately one out of every three of us will need donated blood in their lifetime.
  
  
• Each blood donation can save the lives of up to three people.
  
  
• Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight.
  
  
• An adult of average weight has about 10 - 12 pints of blood
  
  
• Blood fights against infection and helps heal wounds.
  
  
• Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissues.
  
  
• Platelets help blood to clot.
  
  
• Plasma helps maintain blood pressure; carries blood cells, nutrients, enzymes, and hormones; and supplies critical proteins for blood clotting and immunity.
  
  
• There is no substitute for human blood. Blood cannot be manufactured or harvested.
  
  
• Whole blood donors can safely donate blood every 56 days. Double red cell donors can safely donate blood every 112 days.

Blood Type Facts

• Blood groups (A, B, AB, and O) are inherited. The presence or absence of an Rh factor on the red blood cells is what makes your blood type positive or negative. Blood groups (A, B and O) and Rh types are descriptions of certain antigens found on red cells. People with type A blood have A antigens on their red blood cells and lack B antigens; people with type B blood have B antigens and lack A antigens; people with type AB blood have both antigens, and people with type O blood lack both A and B antigens.
  
  
• In addition, blood is typed as either Rh-positive or Rh-negative, referring to the presence or absence of the Rh antigen, which is named for the fact that it was first discovered in the Rhesus monkey. Most people (about 85 percent) are Rh-positive, and that figure is even higher for African-Americans and Asians.
  
  
• Out of 100 people, about:
         • 38 will be O +
         • 7 will be O -
         • 34 will be A +
         • 6 will be A -
         • 8 will be B +
         • 2 will be B -
         • 4 will be AB +
         • 1 will be AB -
  
  
• Who Can Receive Whose Red Blood Cells:
         • O - can only use O -
         • O + can use O + or O -
         • A - can use A - or O -
         • A + can use A +, A -, O + or O -
         • B - can use B - or O -
         • B + can use B +, B -, O + or O -
         • AB - can use AB -, A -, B - or O -
         • AB + can use All Blood Types
  
  
• Notice that all blood types can receive type O negative red blood cells. This is why O negative is used in emergencies when there is no time to determine the blood type of the patient. This is also why donors who are O negative are always in high demand.
  
  

Back to top