I'm wondering...because it seems a bit silly to me...

i was just wondering...for the about section of the profile on this web site...it asks for our blood type (if we want to put it)...i found it was a really weird question to ask...i would never want to receive blood from another country when the blood we have in Australia is some of the best and cleanest in the world...and i m not just saying that either...in America people get paid to donate blood so to me its an incentive for drugos to donate so they can get a quick buck for their next fix...its really sad, i think that to donate blood people get paid or other wise they wont do it...i know blood is a very important thing but i feel that people should donate out of the goodness of their heart not just so they can get a few easy dollars...

i am a regular blood donor here in Australia...although lately i was found to be iron deficient anaemic so i have to wait 6 months (i actually have about 2 to go now)...but if i was offered payment i would never accept it...just the thought of being able to save up to 3 lives is enough incentive for me to give my blood every 12 weeks (3 months)...it is a very fulfilling thing to do...and at milestone donations you receive a small gift...

but getting back to this site asking for our blood type...it is funny (to me anyway) that they ask us for our blood type but not whether we are Rh(D)pos or Rh(D)neg...when it is really important when asking about a blood type...if they are going to ask for a blood type why not if you are Rh(D)pos or Rh(D)neg?? seems a little strange to me...

in case you are wondering what all the Rh(D) is about...

we have lots of antigens on our red cells...antigens that determine what blood type we are and a whole host of others...if people have, for example, B+ blood they will have the Rh or D antigen on their blood so, therefore, they are B+ or how we write in blood banking B Rh(D)pos. if the person, for example, is B-, they do not have the Rh or D antigen on their blood so, therefore they are B- or B Rh(D) neg...

a B- person can give blood to a B+ person and not harm them because they do not have the Rh(D) antigen on their blood, however, this cannot work the other way around...unless you want to kill someone...

to determine blood type there is 2 antigens you can have A and B...

People with A blood have the A antigen
People with B have the B antigen
People with AB have both the A and the B
People with O have none of the A or B antigens on their blood...

if someone is given the wrong blood type the blood will clot in their arm and if not treated straight away it will kill them...

normally it is preferred to give people the blood type that they are so B+ gets B+ etc...you get the idea...

but in emergencies it is possible to get other blood types and still be ok...

AB+ is a universal receiver and O- is a universal donor...because of the antigens on the blood cells...

so, really, the way i see it, if they want the blood type why not ask for the whole thing??