Why are the donor requirements different for donating red blood cells?
Men and women have different total blood volumes. Even for men and women of the same weight, their blood volumes will differ. Because of this, the FDA has established different donor requirements for men and women. Only blood types O and B are eligible for red blood cell donations. Type O blood is considered to be the “universal blood type.” This is because all blood types can safely receive type O blood without complication. Type O is used in emergencies when there is not time for typing a patient. Only 10 percent of the population has type B blood. Because of this, it is easy for our supply of type B blood to be depleted. Therefore, we are always looking for more O and B red cells.
