A negative blood type

Your blood type is determined by genes inherited from your parents.

Whether your blood type is rare, common or somewhere in between, your donations are vital in helping save and improve lives.

Is A negative blood rare?

1 in 13 donors is A negative

Around 8% of donors have A negative blood.

In comparison, 30% of donors have A positive blood.

Who can receive A negative blood?

Group A and AB people

A negative red blood cells can be used to treat people with:

  • A negative blood
  • A positive blood
  • AB positive blood
  • AB negative blood

You're somebody's type - diagram showing which blood groups can receive an A negative blood donation

What blood can A negative people receive?

A negative and O negative

People with A negative blood can receive donations from:

  • A negative donors
  • O negative donors

Why is A negative blood important?

Anyone can receive A negative platelets

A negative red blood cells can be used to treat around 40% of the population.

However, A negative platelets are particularly important because they can be given to people from all blood groups. That’s why A negative platelets are called the ‘universal platelet type’.