# Blood donation: why the elaborate sterilization?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-why-the-elaborate-sterilization/508348>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 31, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-why-the-elaborate-sterilization/508348 "2009-08-31T13:49:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-why-the-elaborate-sterilization/508348/21 "2009-09-01T19:21:03Z")

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Why do men take your number and then never call?

Hmmm…

Take your number – insurance they will feel like they’ve still got it

Never call – liability protection from being rejected

By God, you’re right.

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**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-why-the-elaborate-sterilization/508348/22 "2009-09-02T05:01:13Z")

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I do this every day. We actually have a poster up in a hallway at work showing bacteria grown from a properly scrubbed arm and an improperly scrubbed arm so we don’t forget how important it is. You don’t want to have bacteria around the venipuncture site because it can contaminate the donated blood.

Of course, there’s also that little matter of fines and recalls if the FDA catches you deviating from approved procedures.

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**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-why-the-elaborate-sterilization/508348/23 "2009-09-02T05:15:50Z")

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> [@Silvorange](#):
>
> We actually have a poster up in a hallway at work showing bacteria grown from a properly scrubbed arm and an improperly scrubbed arm so we don’t forget how important it is.

Tiny, tiny poster.

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