An Ancestry DNA test shows you ethnicity estimates and a list of DNA relatives who have tested with the company.
However, Ancestry DNA tests do not show your blood type.
You may be tempted to use your Ancestry DNA results with independent services that try to derive your blood type from the data.
This article gives pros and cons, and some advice on how to get your blood type results for free.
Can You Use Ancestry DNA Results To Get Your Blood Type?
Several commercial companies will attempt to analyze your blood type if you upload your Ancestry DNA results to their websites.
Using Promethease
One example is Promethease. This website is now backed by the genealogy company MyHeritage. (You can read more in our article on who owns Promethease).
It’s a reputable site that provides a wide range of health reports for twelve dollars.
Be warned if all you want is your blood type. You may want to avert your eyes from all the other possibly scary health stuff that this site attempts to predict.
Other sites
When I researched this article, I found at least one other website that accepts a free upload of Ancestry DNA and provides a blood type estimate.
Be sure that you check the background of any online site that you provide your DNA.
You should also be aware that all third-party companies have the same difficulty with interpreting blood type from your Ancestry DNA results. We’ll explain why in the next section.
Why Using Ancestry DNA Results For Blood Types Is Not Accurate
Before you try to use your Ancestry results to get your blood type, bear in mind that this will not be as reliable as a standard medical blood analysis.
The Ancestry autosomal DNA test analyzes a small sample of your genome.
The independent analysis looks for specific markers (SNPs) in your DNA results that partly predict blood type.
But your DNA test doesn’t have all the markers that would need to provide an accurate assessment in all cases.
Reports from people who have tried it
Here are some quotes from the social media forums from people who used these services. To be fair, plenty of people report that their blood typing is correct.
But some people were very unimpressed:
Promethease was half right with mine, they suggested I’d be either A or B and I’m B+.
I checked out my blood type on Codegen.eu… and they were wrong. Prometheus couldn’t figure it out at all.
Personally, I wouldn’t bother trying to use my Ancestry DNA results as a workaround like this. I’d get a proper test conducted.
If you’re on a limited budget, then the most reliable way will probably be through donating your blood. I’ll cover this in the next section.
Free Ways To Find Your Blood Type
Here are some alternative ways to find your blood type for free.
Donate blood
When you donate blood to reputable health organizations, the companies need to analyze your blood type. Aside from that, they’ll probably run a series of checks for diseases.
You will usually be given your blood type – just remember to ask for it!
Sell your blood plasma
Strictly speaking, this isn’t a free method. But in this case, it’s you who are getting paid!
Make sure that you are using a licensed and certified plasma center. And be sure to ask for your blood type as you are counting your hard-earned dollars.
Dig through your old school documents
Do you have vague memories of your entire class being blood tested? Local health authorities may do annual health checks for a specific age group.
This is another case of asking your parents. They may have been given a copy of the medical results.
Ask your parents about hospital baby records
Depending on where and when you were born, the hospital may have given your proud new parents a medical chart that included your blood type.
See if you can jog their memories. The document may be stored in the drawer with your first lock of hair and a lost tooth.
Cost-Effective Ways To Find Your Blood Type
There are several cheap testing kits from reputable companies available for purchase online.
We recommend the Eldoncard Blood Type Test (available on Amazon).
Local doctor
Alternatively, you can book a blood test with a local doctor.
You may find that your doctor looks at your medical history and tells you what your blood type is! You may have been tested as a child.