Many African Americans and Hispanic Americans have rare blood types. Unique to the African American community are U-negative and Duffy-negative blood types. Also a common, but rare type in minority communities is Type B blood. Minority patients with diseases like sickle cell anemia are less likely to have physical reactions to blood donated from the same racial group.

There are routine shortages of O and B blood types, and more minority populations have more types O and B blood than other populations.

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