You can find out your blood type through several methods:
- Ask your doctor : They can order a blood test to determine your blood type by analyzing specific antigens on your red blood cells
- Donate blood : Blood donation centers routinely test your blood type. After donating, you can ask for your blood type information, though it may take a few weeks to receive it
- At-home blood typing kits : These kits allow you to prick your finger and place drops of blood on a special card or vial with reagents. The blood will clump in certain areas depending on your blood type, which you can match to a guide included in the kit
- Blood test at a lab or hospital : A phlebotomist draws blood, and the lab performs forward and reverse typing to identify your ABO and Rh blood groups
- Saliva or other body fluid tests : About 80% of people secrete blood group antigens in fluids like saliva. If you are a "secretor," you may determine your ABO blood type without drawing blood using specialized kits, though this method is less common and may not detect Rh factor
Summary of blood typing:
- ABO blood types depend on the presence of A and/or B antigens on red blood cells: Type A (A antigen), Type B (B antigen), Type AB (both), or Type O (neither).
- The Rh factor is another antigen that makes blood positive (+) or negative (-).
Combining these, the common blood types are A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+, and O-
. In short, the most reliable ways are to get a blood test from a healthcare provider or donate blood, but at-home kits are a convenient alternative if you want to test yourself
