Identifying your blood type is quite simple – all you need is getting a private blood type test in the UK at your doctor’s, taking a home blood test, or you can get this information before donating blood.
How can you determine your blood type?
Blood types consist of two groups: Rh and ABO.
These blood types are determined using the antigens present on the surface of the red blood cells. Antigens are substances that trigger immune responses in the body. The presence of certain antigens determines the ABO blood type.
1. People with blood type A have A antigens.
2. People with blood type B have B antigens.
3. People with blood type AB have B and A antigen.
4. People with blood type O do not have antigen B and A.
After determining the ABO blood type, you can further define the blood type by checking the Rhesus (Rh) factor.
1. Rh-positive means you have the Rhesus antigen on the red blood cells surface.
2. Rh-negative means you do not have the Rh antigen on your red blood cells surface.
Including the result for Rh-factor gives the eight most common blood types: A-, A+, B+, AB- AB+, O- and O+.
What is the procedure for regular blood testing?
The phlebotomist, a person trained to collect the blood sample, will draw a small amount of blood from your hand or arm using a needle at a hospital, clinical lab, or doctor’s office.
The typical blood testing for blood type test London includes the steps below.
Forward typing
This is the first step where the lab scientist will mix your blood cells with antibodies from blood types B and A, then check the sample to see if the blood cells agglutinate (stick together). If agglutination occurs, it means the cells in your blood react with cells of the antibodies.
For instance, agglutination occurs with the antibodies from blood type B (anti-B antibodies), your blood type is B.
Reverse typing
This next step is also known as back typing. In this step, the lab scientist will mix the liquid portion of your blood with no red blood cells, called serum, with blood cells from known blood types A and B.
Those with blood type A have antibodies in their serum that react against blood type B (anti-B antibodies). Those with blood type B have antibodies in their serum reacting against blood type A. People with type O blood have anti-B and anti-A antibodies.
For instance, if your serum agglutinates with cells in blood type B, your blood type is A.
Summary and Rh determination
The ABO test will include forward and reverse typing. Forward typing results can show the blood type of the patient, but cross-checking with reverse typing is necessary to confirm the result. After these tests, they will mix the blood cells with an anti-RH serum. If clumping occurs, your blood type is Rh-positive.
How can I know my blood test at home?
Home blood type tests usually require finger-prick samples from using a lancet and putting the drops of blood on a card.
You will observe where the blood spreads out or clump on the card and match the reactions with the guide provided in the test kit. Vials for the blood samples instead of special cards are also available in some at-home blood type testing kits.
How to check your blood type without paying?
You can know your blood type for free by donating your blood. If you decide to donate your blood to a community blood supplier, you can ask the person in charge about your blood types. Many donation centres provide this information to blood donors.
You may not get the information about your blood type right away since the donations centres do not always test the blood immediately.
Is determining blood type without drawing blood possible?
Research shows that about 80% of persons secrete their antigens in their blood into body fluids like sweat, mucus and saliva. These people are knowns as secretors. In secretors, blood type determination is possible via other bodily fluid tests such as saliva.
Although test kits for blood types that use saliva samples are available, and you can get them online, they are usually more expensive. You can use these kits to determine if you are a secretor and your ABO blood type.
For a blood type test near me at a doctor’s office, visit Blood London Clinic or call us to schedule an appointment for your blood type testing.
