Frequency and Distribution of ABO and Rhesus BloodGroups in Women of a Degree College

<p><strong>Background: </strong>ABO and Rh Blood grouping systems are the most commonly used blood grouping systems in transfusion medicine, despite the long list of several other blood groups discovered so far. They are genetically inherited and play a vital role in blood transfusions, population genetic studies, paternity testing, anthropology and addressing medico legal issues.</p> <p><strong>Aim:</strong> To determine the distribution and frequency of ABO and Rhesus (Rh) blood groups in women studying in a Degree College.</p> <p><strong>Material and Methods: </strong>This study is a cross-sectional observational study which was conducted in a women&rsquo;s Degree College in Harihara. Students who consented for blood group testing were included in the study. Grouping was done by slide agglutination method, using capillary blood obtained by finger prick. Standard antisera A, B and D were used. Age of the individuals and their blood groups were noted down for analysis. Results were expressed in numbers and percentage.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> 351 students participated in the study. &lsquo;B&rsquo; and &lsquo;O&rsquo; formed the most common blood groups accounting for 34.2% and 33.7% respectively. Blood group &lsquo;A&rsquo; accounted for 21.9%, whereas &lsquo;AB&rsquo; was the least common with 10.3%. 96.9% students were Rhesus positive whereas only 3.1% were Rhesus negative.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Most frequently occurring blood groups were &lsquo;B&rsquo; and &lsquo;O&rsquo; whereas &lsquo;AB&rsquo; was the least common blood group in the ABO system. Rhesus (Rh) positive blood group was significantly higher than the Rhesus (Rh) negative blood group.</p>