Starting at 12 weeks, patients seeking abortion care at VAG Clinic will require a proof of blood type. Proof of blood type may be found in a medical record from your doctor’s office or patient portal, from a record of blood donation, or from an American Red Cross blood donor card. Please bring documentation of your blood type with you to your appointment. More information on blood type, the Rh Factor, and blood groups is available below.
Rhesus (Rh) factor is a protein that some people have in their blood. If your blood has this protein, you are Rh positive. If your blood does not have this protein, you are Rh negative.
During pregnancy, blood cells from the fetus can enter your blood. If you are Rh positive, your body does not react to Rh factor in the fetus’ blood.
Your body can develop antibodies against Rh positive blood if you are Rh negative. These antibodies do not affect the current pregnancy but can cause serious problems in future pregnancies. This process is called Rh Sensitization. Rh antibodies can destroy the blood of a future Rh positive fetus. This can cause very bad anemia or other serious problems for the fetus. If you are Rh negative, an injection of Rho(D) Immune globulin (“RhoGAM”) will be recommended to decrease the risk of Rh sensitization.
