# I sometimes wonder if the Red Cross is a little too picky **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 4, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719 "2004-06-04T22:34:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/1 "2004-06-04T22:34:36Z")
I went to give blood today and had an unusual experience. I went through the whole bit about reading the sheet of things that disqualify you(mostly having sex and going out of the country). Well, later they did the iron test, took my tempreture and then took my blood pressure. That’s where we hit the problem. Stangely enough, they now have a rule where you can’t give blood if your blood pressure is too low(which apparently mine is). I understand why they do this, because certain people won’t have enough blood in their body otherwise. However, I don’t think I’m one of those people. It’s been more then the minimum amount of time between blood donations and I’m not exaclty uber-skinny(I’m a guy who’s 5’8 and165 lbs, not exactly on the verge of starvation). I got to donate anyway. The nurse said that if I still wanted to donate, I could just run around the building once or twice…, but even then they kept asking me if I was going to faint. I’ve never fainted and I kept telling them that. I had wondered before if the Red Cross isn’t a little too picky about blood donors, disquilfying pretty much anyone who isn’t American. Considering they are always talking about a shortage of blood, it seems stupid to disqulify somebody on the basis their blood pressure is TOO low(I never knew that was possible as long as it’s not 0/0) if everything else is fine. Maybe this needs to be in the pit? ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/2 "2004-06-04T22:59:29Z")
You’re lucky. Usually my iron is just the tiniest, itty bittiest, inky dinkiest bit too low and they won’t let me donate. Actually it’s been a few years since I last tried and I eat more veggies now so I’d probably be OK. And I like donating too. It makes me feel as if I’m really helping someone out. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/3 "2004-06-04T23:00:50Z")
I’m a big, healthy guy (okay, I’m a fat healthy guy) and my blood pressure tends to run low, too. I never had a problem with it until one time a few years ago when I was giving blood. Suddenly everything went gray and I got nauseated. I wound up being reclined so far I was almost on my head. You say why you can see low blood pressure might be a problem for some people, but then you say you got to donate anyway. So what’s the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/4 "2004-06-04T23:32:48Z")
The last time I gave blood they had to check me 3 times before my blood pressure was high enough for me to give. I didn’t have any problems, though. My MIL has low blood pressure too. A week or so ago, she gave blood, thought she was ok, but passed out while driving home. Luckily, she just took out a couple of street signs and a mailbox, and wasn’t injured. But it could have been much worse. So be careful! ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/5 "2004-06-04T23:39:43Z")
One reason is so they don’t get sued. Did you eat anything before you went in? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/6 "2004-06-05T00:34:41Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > One reason is so they don’t get sued. Did you eat anything before you went in? Besides the two ham, chicken, cheese, mayo, mustard hoagie sandwhchsabout an hour before my appointment? I’m willing to sign something saying I won’t sue them, if that’s what’s bothering them. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/7 "2004-06-05T02:29:25Z")
It’s not the Red Cross, it’s the FDA. The Red Cross got in trouble a few years ago because it wasn’t following the FDA guidelines closely enough for their liking, so now they toe the line. Please don’t blame us! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/8 "2004-06-05T02:35:38Z")
The last two times I tried to donate, I was rejected on the grounds of iron density/anemia. And a couple of times that I did donate, I regretted it afterwards, because of feelings of nausea/lightheadedness/fatigue. What I’d like to know is, why does it always have to be by the pint? Why not _half_ a pint? Lots of people who don’t feel comfy giving a full pint could, and would, donate half a pint! ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/9 "2004-06-05T02:46:33Z")
They’re picky because they are afraid of lawsuits. You go in with low BP, pass out, bang your head, and suddenly they were negligent and they’re out a couple of million. It’s better just to screen out as many risky donors as possible, however slight. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/10 "2004-06-05T04:10:01Z")
The last (and first) time I gave blood I didn’t go through _any_ tests besides weight (the nurse thought I looked under 110 for some reason, even though I’m a good 25 pounds over it). They might’ve checked blood pressure, I’m not sure. Why didn’t they go through any other tests? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/11 "2004-06-05T11:57:36Z")
You know, I’d like to get a tattoo on my ankle, but then I can’t donate for a year. Phooey. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/12 "2004-06-05T12:27:52Z")
I’d love to donate, but I weigh about 100 pounds, have a BP of 98/68 and lived in the UK for the first 18 years of my life (technically, Northern Ireland counts) so I’m out on 3 counts. The Red Cross need blood, but not if it’s going to harm the donor too. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/13 "2004-06-05T12:29:35Z")
I underwent Apheresis(sic) on Thursday and my haem was a bit low, and it was my first time, so they didn’t take platelets. Then they did a platelet count and that was apparently higher than they expected… and that’s when they all started looking at me like I was a peice of meat 😛 Making sure that I was booked in in two weeks time. Making sure my veins were ok… apparently mine are good… and by good they mean hideously ugly to everyone else but the blood service. I can imagine what Hansel (from hansel and gretel) felt like when the witch made him stick out his finger to see if he was fat enough yet. There’s nothing like being hooked up to a machine having blood pumped out of you, run through a machine and then back again 😉 Tattoo is a year? I’m getting peirced on monday and all she said was that the needle had to be sterile when it was done and it had to be done professionally… and no infections and I could donate 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/14 "2004-06-05T12:53:42Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Tattoo is a year? I’m getting peirced on monday and all she said was that the needle had to be sterile when it was done and it had to be done professionally… and no infections and I could donate 🙂 That’s because piercings aren’t done with hollow needles which could contain blood from another person, which happens frequently at less than reputable tattoo sites. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/15 "2004-06-05T13:27:20Z")
Qadgop, well that makes a lot of sense. And that’s why you have the MD and I don’t 😉 You could sell it to me though 😉 It’d be a lot easier than 4 years of Med. School, on top of my 4.5 yr undergrad. How about AUD$50 for it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercury)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-wonder-if-the-red-cross-is-a-little-too-picky/248719/16 "2004-06-05T17:17:54Z")
**The Scrivener** , I donated half a pint in 2001. They told me it was standard practice for people between 105 and 110 pounds.