Blood Facts

Did you know? Only 5 percent of the eligible population donates blood.

The Blood In Your Body

The average adult's body contains about 10 to 12 pints of blood.
Your body continuously replaces its redblood cells, making new ones with iron salvaged from old cells that have been retired.

Blood transports nut rients, defensive antibodies, cells and clotting factors; red blood cells deliver or release oxygen.

A Single Donation Sustains More Than One Life

  • One donation can be separated into components and used to treat several patients.
  • Packed red cells are prescribed for anemic patients and patients undergoing surgery.
  • Platelet concentrates control bleeding in leukemic patients.
  • Plasma from many donors is pooled to make derivatives such as antihemophilic factor, albumin for the treatment of shock, and gammaglobulin, which may prevent or make less severe certain diseases. Cryoprecipitate is administered to patients with hemophelia A.

What Is Your Blood Type? Find Out By Donating

Blood groups are inherited. In our population the following percentages are found for ABO and Rh blood groups.

  • 37% will have group O positive blood
  • 7% will have group O negative blood
  • 36% will have group A positive blood
  • 6% will have group A negative blood
  • 9% will have group B positive blood
  • 1% will have group B negative blood
  • 3% will have group AB postive blood
  • 1% will have group AB negative blood

All Blood Types Are Needed

Type O negative blood is the type most often in demand. Only 7% of the population has it, while 100% of the population can use it. In an emergency, O negative blood can be received by anyone of any blood type, positive or negative.

Giving Blood Is Safe & Easy

Your body quickly replaces the blood you give. It is safe and easy to donate blood. An hour is all that it takes to give blood to save another person's life. The actual donation time is less than 10 minutes. If you are age 17 or over, you are eligible to donate blood. If you are 76 or over, you may be accepted as a donor with your physician's approval. The Red Cross collects blood only from voluntary donors.

A Cost-Recovery Based Service

Recovering expenses from the users of their services finances Red Cross Regional blood services. The Red Cross charges hospitals a processing fee to cover the expenses of recruiting, collecting, testing, processing and distributing blood and blood products. This fee is directly related to costs. Hospitals pass the charges on to the patient whose health insurance plan usually covers the expense. The blood itself is never charged for because it is a volunteer's free gift.