Can someone tell me what it means to be RH-?

Question

I see questions about it all the time but I haven't figured out what it means.

Thank you.

If u have a negative blood type would the RH be negative also?

Answer 1

If you are a mother with Rh incompatibility, there is a substance in your baby's red blood cells that is not in your blood cells. This substance is usually called the Rho(D) factor. People who have the Rho(D) factor are Rh positive. People who do not have it are Rh negative. Being Rh negative or positive is something you inherit from your parents, just like you inherit the color of your eyes or hair.

While you are pregnant or delivering the baby, some of the baby's red blood cells may come in contact with your blood. Your body may then make antibodies to the Rho(D) factor. This reaction is called sensitization. The antibodies may cross the placenta and destroy the red blood cells in your baby or any Rh-positive babies you have later. This destruction of red blood cells is called hemolytic disease. This disease can cause serious problems for the baby.

Rh incompatibility happens only if you are Rh negative and your baby is Rh positive. It does not happen if you are Rh positive and your baby is Rh negative or if both of you are negative or positive.

Usually you are not exposed to a baby's blood until you give birth. This means that your first baby is not likely to be affected by the incompatibility. However, large amounts of the baby's blood often leak into the mother during delivery. Your body might then make antibodies. This can cause problems if you have another Rh-positive baby.

Sometimes the baby's blood may come in contact with your blood before delivery. This might happen, for example, during a miscarriage or abortion or after amniocentesis or other similar tests.

If you are Rh negative and you got Rh-positive blood in a transfusion, you may have developed antibodies that will cause Rh incompatibility.

In most cases, development of antibodies can be prevented.

Answer 2

RH- means that on your blood cells you do NOT carry what is called the RH antigen. people who are RH+ do carry the RH antigen on their blood cells.

people who are RH- can only receive RH- blood (in a blood transfusion). if a person who is RH- receives RH+ blood, the body treats the RH+ antigen as an invader and will begin to launch the immune system in an attempt to get rid of the foreign substance. this could cause a major problem with the body's blood clotting cascade, immune system, and other body functions, and could cause death. people who are RH+, on the other hand, can receive RH- blood because the RH- blood doesnt have the foreign antigen, so the body doesn't care - it just treats the RH- blood as normal blood cells because there is no foreign antigen to set it off.

Answer 3

Generally, RH - occurs less often than +. A biology teacher of mine once told me that if two people with RH - blood have a child there is a chance for medical complications, most of which can be taken care of before birth. Im not sure how valid that is.

Answer 4

RH is a protein marker on red blood cells, kinda similar to bloodtype which is the carb marker on red blood cells. there r only 2 types of RH: - or +, instead of 4 in bloodtype(A,B,O,AB)