China Health Guide: Living in China with Rhesus-Negative Blood

If you move to China and you don't look like a local, chances are you'll be treated like an exotic creature. While we're all made of blood and bones, it is true that many foreigners have blood types that are very rare and exotic in China. If that's you, read on as Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) Family Medicine Physician Dr. Andrew Perrett explains the implications of having rare blood and how to manage this in the Middle Kingdom.

If you're a human, you will have one of eight different blood types. These are listed in the graphic above. Rhesus-negative blood types (marked with a "-" in the graphic) are relatively common in Western countries (as high as 36% of some populations) but, in China, they are very rare. Only around 0.3% of the Chinese population has rhesus-negative blood. This can mean that some people who move to China may find themselves suddenly in an environment where their blood type is far rarer than it is in their home country. BJU regularly holds blood drives and often collects sizeable amounts of rhesus-negative blood, and it’s usually possible to procure extra blood in an emergency. However, if you do need blood in an emergency situation, it helps to know what your blood type is in case you do have this rare type. Dr. Perrett even suggests wearing a medic-alert bracelet if you do have rhesus-negative blood so that emergency responders can help you faster if you do need blood in an emergency situation. 

Another potential complication of having rhesus-negative blood in China occurs during pregnancy. If a woman with rhesus-negative blood has a baby with a man with rhesus-positive blood, she will need a shot from a doctor during her pregnancy to protect the fetus. This shot, which is quite routine in other countries, is not available in China. “If you are rhesus-negative and pregnant or planning a pregnancy, discuss this with your doctor before departure,” advises Dr. Perrett.

Dr. Andrew Perrett is a British Family Medicine physician at Beijing United Family Hospital. He speaks English and Mandarin. To make an appointment with him, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.

Interested in keeping healthy while you're in China? We've put together the China Health Guide series to help health-conscious people living in China figure out how to organize their healthcare for their stay in the Middle Kingdom. Read past installments: