ABO Blood Typing and Rh Factor

The Blood Typing and RH Factor Test determines your blood type [either A, B, AB, and O] and Rh factor [negative or positive]. Did you know there are several benefits in knowing both? Blood type is determined by the types of antigens (or markers) on your blood cells. Antigens are proteins on the surface of your blood cells that can cause a response from the immune system – which is critical for fighting disease.
The Rh factor is a type of protein on the surface of red blood cells. Red blood cells that contain protein are called Rh-positive and the red blood cells that don’t are Rh-negative.


Why Do I Need It?:
Do you know your blood type or Rh factor?
The benefits of knowing your blood type range from identification (blood is a powerful genetic fingerprint!) to nutrition (according to some studies, certain blood types break down foods better than others, allowing customers to better manage their health).
Knowing your Rh factor is just as important, especially for pregnant woman. The majority of people have a positive (+) Rh factor. If a woman has a negative Rh factor and her partner has a positive Rh factor, she is considered to be at risk because her baby will be Rh positive. During pregnancy, the blood supplies of the fetus and the mother are separate, but there are instances it can be passed through to the child. When the mother is Rh negative and the baby is Rh positive, there is a possibility her body will treat the baby as a foreign substance and start attacking the baby’s blood. Medications can be used to prevent this from happening.”