What are rare blood types?

Rare blood types are those that occur in less than 1% of the population. There are many different rare blood types, and each one can have its own unique characteristics and risks.

Some of the most common rare blood types include:

* Bombay phenotype: This blood type is characterized by the complete absence of H antigen on red blood cells. Bombay phenotype is extremely rare, occurring in only about 1 in 100,000 people.

* Duffy negative: Duffy negative blood type is characterized by the absence of the Duffy antigen on red blood cells. Duffy negative is most common in people of African descent, occurring in about 2% of this population.

* Kell negative: Kell negative blood type is characterized by the absence of the Kell antigen on red blood cells. Kell negative is rare in most populations, occurring in less than 1% of people. However, it is more common in people of Asian descent, occurring in about 7% of this population.

* Lewis negative: Lewis negative blood type is characterized by the absence of the Lewis antigen on red blood cells. Lewis negative is most common in people of African descent, occurring in about 5% of this population.

People with rare blood types may have difficulty finding compatible blood for transfusions. They may also be at an increased risk of developing complications from blood transfusions, such as transfusion reactions and hemolytic anemia.

If you have a rare blood type, it is important to talk to your doctor about your blood type and the potential risks associated with it. You may also want to consider enrolling in a rare blood donor registry so that you can help others who need rare blood transfusions.