June 14: World Blood Donor Day

June 14 is World Blood Donor Day. Why does blood donation need a day? Because it’s one of the simplest gifts of life and too few people give it. Why June 14? Because June 14th was the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the man who discovered the ABO blood system that is used to categorize the type of blood we have.

Here are some answers to questions many people ask about blood donation:

How much blood do I have in my body?

This depends on if you’re a woman or a man. Women have about 10 pints while men about 12. Compare that with a newborn who has about a cup of blood.

How much blood do they take if I donate?

You donate about a pint of blood.

How often can I donate blood?

You can donate blood every two months (56 days, actually). You can donate platelets much more often. Platelets are what helps your blood clot.

How quickly does my blood replace itself?

Whole blood takes about two weeks or a bit longer to replenish. Platelets can return to pre-donation levels within hours, while plasma (the yellowish protein-rich liquid of the blood parts of your blood circulate through your body) may take a few days.

What is the rarest blood type?

AB positive is the rarest blood type, O is the most common.

Do you have to get the same blood?

Yes, if you’re type A, you need type A blood, type O needs type O blood. But, there are some exceptions. Someone who is AB positive is called a universal recipient and he or she can receive any type of blood in an emergency. Doctors don’t like to mix blood types, but this is possible.

On the other side of the coin, O negative blood is the universal donor. All blood types can receive O negative blood in an emergency situation.

What’s the positive and negative stuff?

The Rh factor describes a protein in the blood. Either you have it (positive) or you don’t (negative).

What are some situations where I wouldn’t be able to give blood?

Usually, if you’ve had certain diseases, like hepatitis or cancer, you’re not supposed to give. If you take certain types of medications or have lived recently in certain parts of the world, the blood services don’t want to use your blood for fear of passing on an infection.

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