Is AB Negative blood type rare?

Answer 1

That is the rarest of blood types, less than three percent of the population.

You may, however receive red blood cells from any other group, so long as it is Rh negative.

AB is called the universal recipient, because they can receive blood from all the other groups.

Rh is most important in pregnancies, in women who are Rh negative and have been immunized to the Rh factor. Modern medicine has developed a solution to this problem.

Men (and women beyond childbearing years) who are Rh negative can receive a first transfusion from Rh positive blood, but cannot receive any later transfusions, as they will then have an antibody against the Rh factor (known in blood banks as "D"). So in a dire emergency, if there is no Rh negative blood available, and the person has not been immunized to the D antigen, they can receive transfusions using Rh positive blood. It takes several weeks to form the antibody.

Answer 2

It's hard to answer that question with utter accuracy because different populations have the blood types in different amounts.

But generally speaking, ABs make up about 4% of the general population, and negatives make up about 15% of the general population. So an AB- would be about 1%.

Just keep in mind, though, that blood is not gold. Rare isn't necessarily more valuable! If you have a rare blood type, it means if you donate then less people are likely to be able to use it, and if you're injured, there's likely to be less of a supply around for you to use. But even though there's a smaller supply, there's less people using it. Basically, it all balances out more or less unless some huge trauma case comes along and uses 50 units of one kind of blood (and that happens).

It's a little more complicated than that in practice, because some of the blood types can be given to some other people in an emergency. Hospitals are usually loathe to do this, though, because there are markers other than the ABO ones that occasionally cause problems when you cross boundaries like that. The exception being O-, which is the only blood type you'll get if there's a major emergency and they don't have time to type your blood. They sometimes give O- to infants and immunocompromised people on the theory that the total lack of markers might be slightly better than even familiar ones.

Hope that helps!

PS: To the user whose father is AB and mother is O... I hate to break it to you, but if you and your brother are both O, it means your father cannot possibly be your father genetically speaking. Though I'm sure he's a nice guy and all. Just sayin'.

Answer 3

Yes, it is rare, but there is an up side. Being an AB- makes you a universal recepient if you should require a blood transfusion. You could receive A, B or O type blood as long as it was Rh negative. In contrast, if your were an O- blood type (universal donor), you would only be able to receive O- blood, which is rare also. FYI, If you are Rh positive you can receive positive or negative type donors, if your blood type is negative you can only receive negative types. As far as blood groups, or A,B,O's, an A can receive A or O, a B can receive B or O, an AB can receive A,B or O, and an O can only receive an O group donor.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is AB Negative blood type rare?

Answer 5

There are fewer people in the population that have it. But the somewhat cliched plot of TV and movies that it's impossible for someone w/AB rH Neg. blood to only recieve blood from another person w/AB rH Neg. blood isn't accurate. People with AB can indeed recieve blood not only from AB but also A or B (since it has qualities of both) and also type O, known as "the universal donor).Ironically, while type O is the universal donor, they can only receive type O.

Answer 6

AB- does appear to be a "rare" blood type, along with B- with A+ and O+ being the two top (common) blood types.

My father had AB- and my mother had O+ Amazingly enough my brother and myself both have O+.

Answer 7

AB negative is the most rare type of blood.

Answer 8

I know that negative blood type is rare but not AB. I have A negative and had to get a shot when I was pregnant because it could cause problems in subsequent pregnancies if my child had a positive blood type and our blood mixed.

Answer 9

Only 3% of the American population have type AB- blood, so yes, it is rare

Answer 10

Yes any AB is rare. AB are considered the universal reciepents, they can recieve from anyone (A, B, O). But if your negative you can only recieve from negative. I'm A negative so I can't recieve from my mopther whose A positive, but she can recieve for me. On the other hand, O is considered to be the universal donor. O negaytives can go to any one. O positive can go to any positive. My brother and ftaher are O negative and forever are getting hounded to give blood. They do, every three months like your suppose too.