I've found people in other countries find it incredibly strange that no Brits know their blood type. These tend to be countries where they have compulsory national ID, so everyone's blood type is on there and it's used as a trusted source in emergencies, presumably because the likelihood of an error in the test used to get you ID is about the same as in a test in the hospital.
Here in Colombia the test is offered by pretty much any medical centre, and costs about 2 quid.
Birth certificate. Or ask your folks.
+Me on the employer paying
Don't you just hate it when people ask a question, get (some) sensible answers and a couple of counter questions, then just disappear.
C'mon OP, why does your new employer need to know?
I don't remember it being on my birth certificate?
In the UK there is no useful reason to know your blood group. If you are have a routine operation and may need a blood transfusion then you are tested before the op. If in the case of massive life threatening trauma then they will stick O in you until your results come back. They'll then deal with the complications of the wrong blood group as a secondary. If you needed blood that badly then the complications are further down the list of things that are going to kill you.
The reason for screening donors with questions about their sexual history, not their sexuality, is to assess the risk of your donation carrying HIV, hepatitis, etc. The lessons learned from countries where undiagnosed HIV was an issue, coupled with paying donors to donate, has resulted in these questions.
The rate of infection of HIV is still significantly higher in gay men and their partners than in the straight population. It's rising in the straight population and that will lead to a different strategy in the future.
EDIT: It's not on your birth certificate. There is simply no need to know.
I don't remember it being on my birth certificate?
Nor do I, but I was very young at the time.
In seriousness, I'm 99% certain it isn't on there. I had to dig out mine last year and I'm sure I would've noticed (as I've always been curious what my blood type is).
Home test kit
[url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=blood+type+test&sprefix=blood+ty%2Caps%2C152 ]Amazon[/url]
Just make it up - better than paying £150 - who's going to know?
You're not jabbing me again mrsfry...
ok peeps...
[i]not [/i]on the birth certificate
[i]not [/i]tested at birth
[i]not [/i]tested on any routine blood tests unless you are pregnant or going to have a tranfusion or major operation
[i]not [/i]necessary otherwise
It's not on your birth certificate. You (your parents) will have been given a card with your blood group on it, possibly an NHS card. I've certainly got one so they are not a new phenomena.
hammyukYou're not jabbing me again mrsfry...
Not letting this Paxo go to waist.
It's on my birth thingy. I'm B+ (or - )
mrsfry - Member
hammyuk
You're not jabbing me again mrsfry...Not letting this Paxo go to waist.
Don't eat it then...
A minute on the lips....
Job application is for overseeing deep diving activities in foreign climes. Permits to enter the areas in question require client approval. For some reason blood group is featured on many of the documents.
I have previously been excluded from giving blood. My red blood cell count (I think) was continually at or below the normal minimum due to long exposures to high PPo2 whilst at work hence I've not been before. Acclimatising back to atmospheric o2 levels isn't pleasant and makes exertion a real chore.
Thanks to those who posted something sensible 😀
Thanks for the update Davesport.
so many people, so wrong, so little time.
thought mrsfry was a sock for ages... think I know now.
[b]Davesport[/b] sounds fun. Bottom line - this is a really weird thing to ask. You do not, repeat not, want to receive anything other than o neg, or freshly and newly cross-matched blood. Do not trust blood from a place which cannot do this.
I'll have you know, I'm a hand puppet.
One size fits all 🙂
Yup, as said, go give blood. They let you know and you help someone out.
Giving blood also saved the life of someone I know as they picked up early she had leukemia
It's buzarre they want it, I struggle to believe that anywhere sophisticated enough to have a transfusion service would ever give out blood on the basis of a secondhand historical blood group. They would as stoatsbrother says be killing people left right and centre. Believe me you don't want a transfusion reaction, it makes you very very sick.
At least we are now pretty clear that guessing your blood group would be an error.
To be honest, unless you're going for a transfusion in about 3 days, knowing your blood group now is a bit pointless.
I could have "DrP pro racer, blood group F-" stickers all over my bike/helmet/ass, but if I ended up in ED needing blood, they'd simply recheck my blood type there and then...
Same for work..there's no situation where you'd need an emergency transfusion without someone (ideally medical) checking your type first, regardless of what you think it is.
Of course, my brain is small and it's early, so you may need to know for another reason, but I can't for one think of clear reasons why just now..
DrP
