Chat with us, powered by LiveChat
Blood Types: What Do They Mean?

Facts About AB- Blood

People with AB negative blood are literally 1 in 100. To those of us at Our Blood Institute, though, they're 1 in a million.

AB negative blood type superhero illustration

AB negative blood is the rarest primary blood type, making up less than 1% of the population. This scarcity makes AB negative donations critically important!

Plus, people with AB negative blood are considered "universal plasma donors" as their plasma can be transfused to anyone.

What else makes the AB negative blood type stand out? Let's dig a little deeper.

Our Recommendation for AB- Donors

As AB negative plasma can be used to help all of us, it's highly recommended that AB negative donors give plasma every 28 days, or as often as they're able.

One benefit of donating plasma? It's mostly water and regenerates quickly — usually within 24 to 48 hours — meaning your body should recover even more quickly than a traditional whole blood donation.

Schedule Your Donation Today

Key Facts About AB- Blood

  • AB- Blood Type: How Rare Is It?

    AB negative is extremely rare, with the blood type present in just 1% of the U.S. population. It's the rarest of the eight primary blood types.

    In the U.S., Asian-Americans are disproportionately more likely to have an AB positive or AB negative blood type. Among that group, 7% fall within the AB group, compared to the national average of 4%.

  • Who Can AB- Donors Donate to?

    People with an AB negative blood type can donate plasma to patients of any blood type, whereas patients with AB positive or AB negative blood are the only people able to safely receive AB- red blood cells.

    To save the most lives, we suggest our AB negative donors tap into their universal plasma donor status and give plasma when eligible!

  • What Type of Blood Can AB- Patients Receive?

    AB negative patients can receive blood transfusions from people with AB negative, A negative, B negative or O negative blood. Put another way, any of the primary Rh-negative blood types can be safely transfused to AB negative patients in need.

Who Does Plasma Help?

By giving plasma at one of our 17 donation centers, you'll be helping burn victims, cancer patients and so many others in our communities.

Just Donated? Here's Where It Goes.

AB Negative Is Rare... Just Nowhere Near as Rare as This

One in 100 people have AB negative blood, but there's another blood type — Rhnull — that exists in just 1 in 6 million of us.

Rhnull, Under the Microscope