I went to donate blood today after reading this article here on Tildes 🙂 I actually had to wait a bit since so many people were responding to the emergency call, despite having an appointment, so...
Exemplary
I went to donate blood today after reading this article here on Tildes 🙂
I actually had to wait a bit since so many people were responding to the emergency call, despite having an appointment, so that was heartening!
It was my second blood donation and first time doing the “power red” donation, which made me feel a little more woozy but not bad. It feels good to help make a difference, if you have the means and the health, I would recommend giving it a go.
I'm a regular platelet donor, been so for almost forty years, and I've noticed the increasingly panicky tone of donation pleas the past few months. They're asking me to shift to every-three-week...
Exemplary
I'm a regular platelet donor, been so for almost forty years, and I've noticed the increasingly panicky tone of donation pleas the past few months. They're asking me to shift to every-three-week schedule instead of 4. Yesterday was my day, and I asked what was going on: “our donors are aging out.” Go on disqualifying medications, or lose vein integrity, or, well, that other thing that happens to us after a rich long life. And it seems younger people aren't getting the donating bug. [Editor: please fix poor choice of words there] so there's a smaller pool.
Are you a young person? Would you consider developing a new lifelong habit, one with the potential of saving lives (although you will never get to actually find out)? Please contact your local blood bank.
When I was in high school (2016ish), I would donate during the blood drives hosted there, usually twice a year or so. But I’ve only donated once since graduating college…I should definitely get...
When I was in high school (2016ish), I would donate during the blood drives hosted there, usually twice a year or so. But I’ve only donated once since graduating college…I should definitely get back to it.
My main issue is I’m fairly light-weight and don’t exercise a lot, and I’d basically almost pass out every time, which doesn’t feel too great. It basically takes me out for most of the day afterwards too.
Thank you for donating, and especially for continuing to consider doing so even after your experiences. You might be a good match for donating platelets: there is almost no fluid loss, so you...
Thank you for donating, and especially for continuing to consider doing so even after your experiences. You might be a good match for donating platelets: there is almost no fluid loss, so you leave the center with all your red blood cells and maybe even a little more fluid than when you came in, because as part of the process they feed you a little saline. Your body will typically replenish platelets within 24 hours.
I recently started donating blood and platelets this year. I’m still relatively new to the process but I really like doing it (I just gave platelets this morning!). If anyone is curious about...
I recently started donating blood and platelets this year. I’m still relatively new to the process but I really like doing it (I just gave platelets this morning!).
If anyone is curious about donating but has general questions or concerns, feel free to ask them here and I’ll try to answer them as best as I can.
I donate every time I'm eligible, but I've had more time between donations than usual, because they asked to do something different that time. They were doing training for their new double-red...
I donate every time I'm eligible, but I've had more time between donations than usual, because they asked to do something different that time. They were doing training for their new double-red machine, which they don't usually use for my blood type, but they did it anyway so they could get practice in.
Instead of just sticking a needle in your arm and collecting the whole blood, they use a machine with a centrifuge in it, separate out the red blood cells, pump the white cells and plasma back in with some saline to make up the difference, and then repeat the process. You end up feeling cold from the room temperature saline, but less light headed and weird after, since they pulled a fast one on your body and put the same volume of liquid back. And they get 2x as many red cells.
You can't donate as often though when you do the double red.
I would imagine this is preferred during supply shortages like the one we're in, whereas in other times it's better to have smaller and more frequent donations coming in.
You can't donate as often though when you do the double red.
I would imagine this is preferred during supply shortages like the one we're in, whereas in other times it's better to have smaller and more frequent donations coming in.
My husband and I actually asked the people at my donation center about this today! Here’s what they told us: For reference below: “whole blood” is what they call a regular donation and “power red”...
My husband and I actually asked the people at my donation center about this today! Here’s what they told us:
For reference below: “whole blood” is what they call a regular donation and “power red” is what they call a double donation (where they return your platelets and plasma).
Benefits:
If you are an infrequent or one-time donor, power reds are an easy way to double your impact.
Power reds are usually more convenient for regular donors because you can come in less frequently (1 power red visit = 2 whole blood visits).
When patients need a lot of blood, it’s better for them to get it from fewer sources, so having more blood available from a single source is a good thing and reduces risk for the recipient.
It halves the administrative overhead, testing, and processing they have to do, making it more efficient.
Downsides:
The power red donation takes longer and the setup is more involved since they have to return your plasma and platelets (which doesn’t happen in a whole blood donation).
Some donors feel worse after power reds because of the greater loss of blood.
Power red defers donors from all other donations for sixteen weeks, so a person cannot donate platelets/plasma during that time (while a whole blood donation does not defer these).
My husband is actually going to switch over to power red for his next donation. He’s a good blood type for it and doesn’t donate platelets.
The people at our center said it was better for me to keep doing whole blood and platelets, so I’m sticking with that. Doing power red would prevent me from doing the platelets as often as I’d like (once a month).
The American Red Cross faces an emergency blood shortage after its national blood inventory plummeted more than 25% in July. This summer’s record setting heat is a significant contributor to recent blood collection challenges impacting almost 100 blood drives in the last month — in nearly every state where the Red Cross collects blood — further compounding other typical seasonal obstacles to blood donation, such as vacation travel and summer activities.
The Red Cross also continues to face the fewest number of people donating blood in the past two decades.
If you've got questions about whether you're eligible to give blood, the American Red Cross has a long FAQ here. Be sure to check the list if you're taking any medications. There are some drugs...
If you've got questions about whether you're eligible to give blood, the American Red Cross has a long FAQ here.
Be sure to check the list if you're taking any medications. There are some drugs which prevent donation for days, months, or years, like HIV preventative PrEP, immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, etc.
Also, if you’re not sure about your eligibility, you can call or email them and they will answer your questions. I recently got a vaccination and wasn’t sure if it would defer me from donating. I...
Also, if you’re not sure about your eligibility, you can call or email them and they will answer your questions.
I recently got a vaccination and wasn’t sure if it would defer me from donating. I looked through their materials but there are a lot of specifics and it was hard as a layperson to know what to do. So, I sent them an email and got a response back letting me know I didn’t need to defer and was still able to donate.
Also, the staff at my center are really great about answering questions and going over necessary information during the intake and eligibility portion. They’re very knowledgeable and professional.
Seems to be an ongoing issue in Germany as well (at least according to the German Red Cross): Article from 2024 - "Critical shortage of blood donations" Article from 2022 - "Not enough blood...
I never donated blood. I think I'd actually want to try it (it even seems to have some health benefits), but I'm pretty sure from the research I've done I would not be eligible (which is also the result of the local red cross' online test I just did).
"Interesting" historical aside: Men who have sex with men (and trans people "with sexual risk behaviours") were completely excluded from donating blood in Germany until 2017. Since 2017, they were only eligible if they completely abstained from sex for the last 12 months before a donation, and since 2021 they were also eligible if they did not have any new sexual partner in the last 4 months (and lived monogamously).
Only since 2023 have those discriminatory rules been removed, meaning a person's eligibility must now be evaluated according to their individual risk behaviors and not by their sexual orientation (or trans-identity). According to the new rules, all people (no matter their sexuality or identity) who have had anal sex with a new sexual partner in the last 4 months are not eligible to donate anymore (even if they use condoms or are on PrEP), which could still be seen as unnecessarily discriminatory in some cases.
The previous age limit of 60 years for blood donors was also removed in 2023.
I find it super interesting that only in 2020, 23 years after the end of the bse epidemic/scandal in the UK, were brits and Irish (and apparently french folks?) allowed to donate blood in the US...
I find it super interesting that only in 2020, 23 years after the end of the bse epidemic/scandal in the UK, were brits and Irish (and apparently french folks?) allowed to donate blood in the US again. Weird lil bit of trivia.
Yeah, the FDA really dragged their feet on changing their eligibility guidelines. I only started donating this year because the FDA didn't allow gay men to donate previously. My husband and I are...
Yeah, the FDA really dragged their feet on changing their eligibility guidelines. I only started donating this year because the FDA didn't allow gay men to donate previously.
My husband and I are HIV negative, have been together for over a decade, and are mutually monogamous, but up until 2023 we were still ineligible to donate under a rule that was a 1980s AIDS-era holdover.
I'm glad they finally changed it, but that correction took far longer than it probably should have.
I went to donate blood today after reading this article here on Tildes 🙂
I actually had to wait a bit since so many people were responding to the emergency call, despite having an appointment, so that was heartening!
It was my second blood donation and first time doing the “power red” donation, which made me feel a little more woozy but not bad. It feels good to help make a difference, if you have the means and the health, I would recommend giving it a go.
I'm a regular platelet donor, been so for almost forty years, and I've noticed the increasingly panicky tone of donation pleas the past few months. They're asking me to shift to every-three-week schedule instead of 4. Yesterday was my day, and I asked what was going on: “our donors are aging out.” Go on disqualifying medications, or lose vein integrity, or, well, that other thing that happens to us after a rich long life. And it seems younger people aren't getting the donating bug. [Editor: please fix poor choice of words there] so there's a smaller pool.
Are you a young person? Would you consider developing a new lifelong habit, one with the potential of saving lives (although you will never get to actually find out)? Please contact your local blood bank.
When I was in high school (2016ish), I would donate during the blood drives hosted there, usually twice a year or so. But I’ve only donated once since graduating college…I should definitely get back to it.
My main issue is I’m fairly light-weight and don’t exercise a lot, and I’d basically almost pass out every time, which doesn’t feel too great. It basically takes me out for most of the day afterwards too.
Thank you for donating, and especially for continuing to consider doing so even after your experiences. You might be a good match for donating platelets: there is almost no fluid loss, so you leave the center with all your red blood cells and maybe even a little more fluid than when you came in, because as part of the process they feed you a little saline. Your body will typically replenish platelets within 24 hours.
You are the kind of person I hope to be in forty years.
Thank you for your unbelievable and ongoing selflessness.
I recently started donating blood and platelets this year. I’m still relatively new to the process but I really like doing it (I just gave platelets this morning!).
If anyone is curious about donating but has general questions or concerns, feel free to ask them here and I’ll try to answer them as best as I can.
I donate every time I'm eligible, but I've had more time between donations than usual, because they asked to do something different that time. They were doing training for their new double-red machine, which they don't usually use for my blood type, but they did it anyway so they could get practice in.
Instead of just sticking a needle in your arm and collecting the whole blood, they use a machine with a centrifuge in it, separate out the red blood cells, pump the white cells and plasma back in with some saline to make up the difference, and then repeat the process. You end up feeling cold from the room temperature saline, but less light headed and weird after, since they pulled a fast one on your body and put the same volume of liquid back. And they get 2x as many red cells.
You can't donate as often though when you do the double red.
I would imagine this is preferred during supply shortages like the one we're in, whereas in other times it's better to have smaller and more frequent donations coming in.
My husband and I actually asked the people at my donation center about this today! Here’s what they told us:
For reference below: “whole blood” is what they call a regular donation and “power red” is what they call a double donation (where they return your platelets and plasma).
Benefits:
Downsides:
My husband is actually going to switch over to power red for his next donation. He’s a good blood type for it and doesn’t donate platelets.
The people at our center said it was better for me to keep doing whole blood and platelets, so I’m sticking with that. Doing power red would prevent me from doing the platelets as often as I’d like (once a month).
I looked up the details, for anyone interested.
They usually offer it for type O, A negative or B negative, and you can donate every 112 days.
Makes sense considering how rare those blood types are plus type O being a universal donor. Gotta get as much out of every donor as possible.
If you've got questions about whether you're eligible to give blood, the American Red Cross has a long FAQ here.
Be sure to check the list if you're taking any medications. There are some drugs which prevent donation for days, months, or years, like HIV preventative PrEP, immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, etc.
Also, if you’re not sure about your eligibility, you can call or email them and they will answer your questions.
I recently got a vaccination and wasn’t sure if it would defer me from donating. I looked through their materials but there are a lot of specifics and it was hard as a layperson to know what to do. So, I sent them an email and got a response back letting me know I didn’t need to defer and was still able to donate.
Also, the staff at my center are really great about answering questions and going over necessary information during the intake and eligibility portion. They’re very knowledgeable and professional.
In case it motivates anyone here just that little bit more, they've been giving out $20 Amazon gift cards to donors the past few months.
Seems to be an ongoing issue in Germany as well (at least according to the German Red Cross):
Article from 2024 - "Critical shortage of blood donations"
Article from 2022 - "Not enough blood donations"
I never donated blood. I think I'd actually want to try it (it even seems to have some health benefits), but I'm pretty sure from the research I've done I would not be eligible (which is also the result of the local red cross' online test I just did).
"Interesting" historical aside: Men who have sex with men (and trans people "with sexual risk behaviours") were completely excluded from donating blood in Germany until 2017. Since 2017, they were only eligible if they completely abstained from sex for the last 12 months before a donation, and since 2021 they were also eligible if they did not have any new sexual partner in the last 4 months (and lived monogamously).
Only since 2023 have those discriminatory rules been removed, meaning a person's eligibility must now be evaluated according to their individual risk behaviors and not by their sexual orientation (or trans-identity). According to the new rules, all people (no matter their sexuality or identity) who have had anal sex with a new sexual partner in the last 4 months are not eligible to donate anymore (even if they use condoms or are on PrEP), which could still be seen as unnecessarily discriminatory in some cases.
The previous age limit of 60 years for blood donors was also removed in 2023.
I find it super interesting that only in 2020, 23 years after the end of the bse epidemic/scandal in the UK, were brits and Irish (and apparently french folks?) allowed to donate blood in the US again. Weird lil bit of trivia.
https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/news/article/why-there-are-travel-related-restrictions-for-donating-blood-.html
Yeah, the FDA really dragged their feet on changing their eligibility guidelines. I only started donating this year because the FDA didn't allow gay men to donate previously.
My husband and I are HIV negative, have been together for over a decade, and are mutually monogamous, but up until 2023 we were still ineligible to donate under a rule that was a 1980s AIDS-era holdover.
I'm glad they finally changed it, but that correction took far longer than it probably should have.