They don’t want none of my steenkin’ blood. Allergies. I couldn’t believe it when someone told me that people with allergies can’t donate so I called to be sure and was told that indeed allergies disqualify one. Given how many people have allergies these days, I’m amazed anybody can donate.
I have smaller than usual red cells. They’re perfectly efficient: my hemogoblin structure is normal, my total hemogoblin is normal. But, because the hemo-baggies are smaller than usual, they sediment faster.
Blood sedimentation speed hasn’t been considered an indication of possible infection for more than 20 years, but some blood banks still run a fast-and-dirty test for blood sedimentation. They reject me, of course.
I can’t donate in the US, either… I’ve been outside the country, including ohmyGod England in the last 10 years. They make it sound like England is some sort of leper colony, only the local variant of leprosy is extremely contagious (unlike the usual version).
In Spain all blood donated is tested for HIV, it’s a good way to get tested without actually having to ask someone to do it 
They ask if you “play risky” but it’s not a reason for rejection.
US requirements for donations are probably the narrowest in the world.
Okay, here comes my long thanks and attempt at an explanation to a lot of those who were deferred due to sexual orientation, but first…
You know what’s sort of funny, I’m terrified of needles. I didn’t want to mention it earlier because I was afraid I’d dissuade people, but I tremble throughout the whole donation. The needle really doesn’t even hurt, a lot of people will attest that the stupid little finger-prick they give you hurts more than the actual needle, and I’m one of them. But for some reason I am a very anxious person, so I always make the nurses nervous, and they think they’re hurting me. Nope, they’ve all been wonderful, and I really have never had a bad donation experience. This is just a little kink about myself that I can’t shake (no pun intended).
Believe me, I side with you on this issue. It’s a fossil-aged stigma that needs to go IMHO. And it’s the FDA, not the Red Cross, that you should gripe to. The Red Cross, as well as any other licensed Donation Center, need to follow FDA regulations to the strictest guidelines. A blood product transfusion is seen as the equivalent as administering drugs, so that’s why all these rules are from the FDA.
Now the FDA created this rules regarding having homosexual relations with another man, or an IV drug addict, or a prostitute (or having sex with someone who had sex with any of the latter), in response to the heightening HIV scare. At the time there was no test for the virus and consequently many people receiving blood transfusions became infected with the virus. This deferment plan was put into action to try to limit the known population of people developing AIDS, which at the time were homosexuals, IV drug users, and prostitutes (male + female).
I could rant on and on about the continued stigma associated with HIV, but what it comes down to is that it is a lot easier to make a rule preventing that population to donate, rather than take it back even with many reliable HIV tests available. Could you imagine headlines reading “FDA Rules to Allow High Risk HIV Population to Donate”. Sensationalism I realize, but Johnny and Mommy public would freak out.
So to otto and everyone else irritated by this, please allow me to apologize for an outdated deferment system. It frustrates me too, but is not likely to change either.
Until they develop some test for this disease, this deferment isn’t going anywhere. And even if there is a test, see above :rolleyes: . (To the best of my knowledge I still think that the only definitive test/diagnosis of this is an autopsy, so a screening test is a long way away.)
It’s good to hear that you only had a scare. I’m sorry but as long as there are laboratory tests there will always be false-positives as well as false-negatives. No test is 100%.
these rules are from the FDA.
I believe you’re out even as an organ donor. All you could probably do is donate time.
Phew, and lastly I just wanted to thank everyone here once again, whether you’ve donated or not. Since I haven’t seen anyone post a message saying that they haven’t donated because they favor human extinction, I’ll assume that by contributing here it means that you’ve at least considered donating. If anyone wants to correct any of the above I said, or ask for a cite I’ll do my best to oblige. This was meant to be sort of a drive-by thanks, but I wanted to answer some questions. Believe me, I could have gone on for another ranting page about the lingering stigma of HIV in my profession, but I’ll hold back until another topic.
Don’t worry, the big drug companies are working hard on developing artificial blood replacement products, which they can patent and sell at very high profits to sick & injured people.
The elimination of more & more donors is a needed step to ensure a good market for these products, without competition from an anti-private enterprise system of donations!
O+ here. I donate blood almost every 8 weeks, though last time they came by my company they were 3 days too soon. I spend the rest of the day taking it easy and drinking. A dorm at my college had a “triathlon” in which contestants were to donate a pint of blood, drink a six pack, and run (stumble?) down to the clock tower and back. Never tried it myself. I did pass out once, but it was because I donated at the fair, had been walking all day, and was in a hurry so I passed on the cookies and started to leave right away. I suggest now that even if you feel good, stick around for a few minutes for a bite. You just lost ~600 calories, so you can afford it.
O+
I started giving blood at work a few years ago when they started having regular donation drives. I’m halfway through my third gallon now!
I had something unusual happen back in October when I showed up to give blood. We usually have two-day drives at work and I normally schedule my donation on a Friday, but since I was going to be unavailable that particular Friday, I rescheduled my donation for Thursday. It turns out I was one day shy of the 8-week period between donations and they turned me away. (Actually, what the lady told me was that I could donate but they’d just throw it out. What’s the point in that?)
Um… I hesitate to go here, but here goes. I am O+ and used to donate somewhat regularly, probably 3-4 times/year. I was barred in college for awhile (not the right weight), but I have stopped donating blood.
I am sure some here will be quite angry as to why, but here goes. They wouldn’t stop calling me. I know my limits. I know my body-I don’t care that they say you “can” donate every few weeks. I have had enough of being run down and getting sick in my life. I was happy to donate 3-4 times a year. They (the company rhymes with wife-source) wanted me in there every 6 weeks. They would lecture me on the phone about the need. I know the need-I’m a nurse. I was trying to balance their need with my needs. I am anemic (at times); 2 years ago, my MCV (mean corpuscular volume) was 55. This means I had itty bitty red blood cells. I felt like crap. I was on iron. I was told by the rep on the phone that “anemia” wasn’t a “sufficent reason to not give”. That was when I pulled the plug. For the record, I had asked that they not call me as often. No dice-it’s all on the call list, and god forbid an exception be made etc. :rolleyes:
So, I am sorry I no longer donate. If I ever find myself in New England or elsewhere and there is a Bloodmobile, I will be happy to hop on and donate. But I will not be harassed every 6 weeks for something I am only comfortable doing 4 times a year.
I live in England and I donate blood as often as possible. I’m also on the bone marrow donation list, should the need and a suiotable match arise.
It seems odd to me that Americans who have visited this country during the ‘Mad Cow’ scare are barred from giving blood, whereas myself and millions of others who actually live here (and were here for the entirety of the ‘Mad Cow’ affair) can give blood, and are encouraged to do so.
I’m also amazed to hear that in some parts of America you can give blood every few weeks. I try to donate as often as possible, but over here they won’t allow more than about 3 donations per year.
I am surprised that there are these strange variations in practise. Shouldn’t blood donation be a straightforward scientific business? With the same rules for all, everywhere?
Kudos to BigBabySweets for starting this thread and encouraging people to donate blood. I took part in a similar thread on Nads (British offshoot of the Doper community) some time ago. Can I just say that ‘fear of needles’ doesn’t have to be a reason not to go along and donate. In my experience, a first-timer who says ‘Look, I want to do this but I don’t know anything about it and I’m scared of the sight of needles’ or ‘…I can’t stand the sight of blood’ is very well catered for by the blood donation service. They have heard it all before, and they can do things in such a way that you never see a needle or any blood, and have a genuinely painless experience. But that’s my experience of the British service. YMMV.
Yep.
And abortion should be a straightforward medical decision between a woman and her doctor.
And marriage should be a straightforward decision between the people involved (of whatever combination of genders).
Etc,
But that isn’t how the world works.
Well, you Brits are already all contaminated, you see. 
Every six weeks? Our blood people tell me I’m only allowed to donate every eight weeks, no matter what, and anemia certainly is a reason not to give - they turned me away last week because my hematocrit was 37 instead of 38. When I had a bout of mild anemia last year and my doctor told me not to give blood, I asked my blood company (rhymes with…er…United Blood Services) not to call me at all - I contacted them when I was cleared to donate. It sounds like your people are jerks.
I’ve often wondered one thing: I’m a vegetarian and have been for about fifteen years. Even if I had visited the UK during that time, I wouldn’t have eaten beef, so there’s no way I’d be at risk for mad cow disease. Would I still be deferred just because I’d set foot in the country? And what happens when, as seems inevitable, we get more cases here and in Canada?
I did this a couple of times, but every time I donated, I got a migraine headache. Made me want to cut my head off.
so now I just give blood. A little over 6 gallons so far.
even rarer blood type here: b- and i’m cytomeglavirus-free {sp?}, which puts me in even higher demand for surgery blood. i think i’m up to six gallons now. 
i alternate with platlet donations as needed. actually i’m overdue to donate now. must rectify that soon.
hmm. indiana must be a little less picky. a year to the day after my tattoo moritorium they called, wanting me to come in and donate, so i did. imagine my surprise. obviously they’d been tracking my donation dates AND the inception date of the tattoo!! :dubious:
Internetlegend --I’m sorry-I mis-spoke. They called me every six weeks for an appt–I wasn’t allowed to donate unless 8 weeks had passed. Even at every 8 weeks, that’s 6 times/year.
I think they were jerks as well. Thing is, if I give at church–they use the same company and I get right back on that call list. It’s a stupid thing and annoying. I do believe in donating blood. Blood transfusions saved my mother’s life, long before I was born.
so, I do try to find ways to give. And major kudos to all that give regularly.
Well, kudos to you for doing it at all. It doesn’t work for everyone, obviously, but it’s a worthy thing to do if you can.
That amazes me. I’ve never even been asked about allergies.
I’ve donated fairly regularly for many years (although it’s become less often because where I’m living now they seem to make it a point to make it as aggravating and complicated a process as they can) but the thought of donating platelets just freaks me right out. The idea that they are running the blood through a machine and then actually putting it back into me is so over the top that I can’t believe anybody could ever consider doing it. Even the thought is sending chills up and down the spine.
My husband and I both gave on Saturday.
I couldn’t for a couple years because I was one of those women who’d slept with a man who’d had sex with another man and had to wait 12 months after the last time I had sex with him to donate again. Despite the fact that he’d been tested clean and I had too. Which makes it really awkward when friends, relatives, coworkers, etc. who know you’ve donated in the past ask you why you won’t donate now. I’m glad I’m past that and considered safe again!
There are some advantages to be involunatrily celibate. Not many, but some.
I booked a donor appointment for Thursday evening. I’m also on the list for platelet and bone-marrow donation.