Giving blood?

[Never]

I'm giving blood this June 27th. It doesn't hurt that much, is relatively quick, and could save a life.

Anyone else into giving life?

 

[It'sasecret]

I have given blood several times. In fact I have also given my platlettes, which is much more difficult to do. I don't really do the platlettes anymore, except when they call me specifically b/c mine worked well with a particular patient. I just found it too difficult to do, but when they call and say "this patient responded well to your donation", how can I say no?

 

[buggawugga]

i've always wanted to give blood but i can't because of an inherited illness... i even had to give up my organ donor card..

 

[ammre]

Hah i was always called a "good blood giver" I believe i'm O- a hard type to come across (or was that O+, i remember it was the rare one) and I have high iron. They stick me, i don't complain, i fill up fast and in about 5 minuits my bag is done, they bandage me give me an apple juice and s cookie and i walk off.

I got a tattoo in febaury, i have to wait a year till i can give blood after a tattoo I kinda like giving blood (probably a little of by BDSM-ish ness) It's the easiest community service i can do and i'm rather fascinated by all the stuff they do and use...

Hah i'm actually wearing a free teeshirt i got "Lifesaving blood, american donor, new jersey blood services" I also an set as an organ donor so if i die someone gets my still working body parts. (Luckey them!)

 

[HoldenMcCrank]

O neg universal donar

If you are O neg you can give blood to anyone. However you can only recieve from O neg.

I am O neg and give regularly.

Just think of it this way would you give up 30 minutes to an hour to save someones life? Basically that is all it is.

Holden

 

[Aurora_s_Flame]

I'm a regular donor...at least twice a year for sure. It doesn't take much time, you get a cookie! (whoohoooy hehe) and it could save a life. I've known cases of people who haven't had the blood available to them when needed. That just isn't right...

As the commercial says...

"Blood...Its in you to GIVE!"

~ Rora

 

[Andreina]

im AB positive (quite rare, so always needed) and used to donate regularly. im not allowed anymore because i lived in the UK for longer than 6 months.

 

[Etoile]

And here I'd expected this thread would be about the Red Cross question "have you had sex with a man since 1977" that effectively bars gay men from giving blood. (For women, the question is "have you had sex with a man who has had sex with a man since 1977.") A lot of people feel this question is discriminatory, and unfair given that it doesn't also ask "have you had an HIV test come back negative in the past six months" or something to that effect.

 

[killallhippies]

And here I'd expected this thread would be about the Red Cross question "have you had sex with a man since 1977" that effectively bars gay men from giving blood. (For women, the question is "have you had sex with a man who has had sex with a man since 1977.") A lot of people feel this question is discriminatory, and unfair given that it doesn't also ask "have you had an HIV test come back negative in the past six months" or something to that effect.

really? they ask that? i have never given blood, so i wouldn't know.

 

[Angel]

I'm not allowed because I'm anemic.


When I see/hear about a drive I usually wander over and let them give me that behind the ear pricky test to see if I'm too anemic to donate hoping that someday I'll magically be able to.

I've been a good girl lately and taking my vitamins so we'll see if I fix up.




What do they do to you to donate platlettes? I've always wondered.

 

[PinkOrchid]

 

[Etoile]

Good point. That question also seems to imply that HIV transmission is not common among heteros. In many populations, it is the main form of HIV transmission and HIV transmission is in fact declining in many gay populations due to effective educational efforts.

The current issue of Out magazine has an article on gays in Kenya. From page 87:

"The fact that many gay men are also in heterosexual relationships makes them an important 'bridge' population for the transmission of HIV, says Craig Cohen, MD, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. Many gay men engage in vaginal sex with their wives and anal sex with lovers in the mistaken belief that HIV is transmissible only through heterosexual intercourse. 'These men are not as aware as others that they can get HIV and AIDS from other men. They are unaware of the history of the disease in the West,' says Cohen."

 

[capricious_chic]

And here I'd expected this thread would be about the Red Cross question "have you had sex with a man since 1977" that effectively bars gay men from giving blood. (For women, the question is "have you had sex with a man who has had sex with a man since 1977.") A lot of people feel this question is discriminatory, and unfair given that it doesn't also ask "have you had an HIV test come back negative in the past six months" or something to that effect.

The reason they don't need to ask is because blood banks routinely screen all blood donated for HIV. To some extent, one would think because they do this it would be unnecessary to bar gay men from donating.

 

[Mischka]

I'm giving blood this June 27th. It doesn't hurt that much, is relatively quick, and could save a life.

Anyone else into giving life?

I tried giving this past weekend, but my iron was too low again. I'm trying again in two weeks, after a steady diet of red meat, spinach, fish, and iron supplemints. Good luck with your donation, my molluscan friend.

Addressing the blood donation questionnaire, I have a friend that can't bring himself to lie about his sex life (or deny his five year relationship), so he is banned from donating. I just can't imagine having to make that choice. I wonder, does anyone hear make the opposite choice? Do you lie on the questionnaire in order to be able to donate?

 

[Etoile]

Re: Re: Giving blood?

Addressing the blood donation questionnaire, I have a friend that can't bring himself to lie about his sex life (or deny his five year relationship), so he is banned from donating. I just can't imagine having to make that choice. I wonder, does anyone hear make the opposite choice? Do you lie on the questionnaire in order to be able to donate?

My girlfriend lies on that very question, because she knows she's HIV-.

 

[Effigy]

Re: Re: Giving blood?

Addressing the blood donation questionnaire, I have a friend that can't bring himself to lie about his sex life (or deny his five year relationship), so he is banned from donating. I just can't imagine having to make that choice. I wonder, does anyone hear make the opposite choice? Do you lie on the questionnaire in order to be able to donate?

Yup, I know where I've ben and with who. Its like the whole, have you had unprotected sex with someone overseas in the last 12 months one.

 

[Cheyenne]

Re: Re: Giving blood?

I tried giving this past weekend, but my iron was too low again. I'm trying again in two weeks, after a steady diet of red meat, spinach, fish, and iron supplemints. Good luck with your donation, my molluscan friend.

Addressing the blood donation questionnaire, I have a friend that can't bring himself to lie about his sex life (or deny his five year relationship), so he is banned from donating. I just can't imagine having to make that choice. I wonder, does anyone hear make the opposite choice? Do you lie on the questionnaire in order to be able to donate?

A trick I learned from one of the blood center people was to eat raisins the day before you donate and the morning of. Something in the raisins helps increase the measurement of the iron in your blood to test high enough to donate. I've had that problem a few times, too. Last time, I ate the raisins before I went back to donate (made no other changes to my diet) and my iron was high enough.

I think I'd be tempted to lie to be able to donate if one of the questions they asked applied to me, but I wouldn't do it. The questions are there to protect the people getting the blood.

 

[ReBeLBeLLe]

I grew up watching my father give blood on a regular basis. It was something I had planned on doing once I was old enough...then I found out you had to meet a certain weight. It is really frustrating to me not to be able to give based on weight when I am healthy in every way.

 

[pixiewitch]

I've only had the privilege of giving blood a few times. I would love to do it on a regular basis because of the nature of the act. But they won't allow me to now because I take blood pressure med's. It is so defeating to want to help and not be able to.

 

[Quint]

In the UK for 6 months--15 years ago! I found THAT little quirk out after getting through almost all of the screening process, including the finger prick (yeesh I'm a baby). So my whole family is prohibited, and it isn't something I really want to lie about, unlike the fact that I have had homosexual relations in the past 6 months. (And I'm about due for another round.) I do feel bad but I also guiltily admit that it was nice being able to walk past the rooms of accusing eyes when my campus would hold bloo drives. "Sorry, might be a carrier for Mad Cow disease, don't look at me like that!"

I also wonder why they feel the need to keep gays from donating if they check for HIV anyway, as well as the whole "heteros get it too" dilemma. Here's a comparable situation: T is a director at a choir camp his college just hosted. Dorming is same-sex only. So they are sticking choir boys in a room together in order to PREVENT sex? Who doubts that straight people came up with these rules?

 

[Cuckolded_BlK_Male]

I'm O negative as well. I've been giving blood regularly since I was 17 years old. I've been volunteering for American Red Cross blood drives since I was 12. I have a 10 gallon pin (10 gallons of blood donated) from the Red Cross ... but it's not that big of a deal as my mother and brother have much higher quantity pins.

Giving blood is just something that my family always did. It probably stems from my mom having been the director of service to military families for our state's Red Cross ...

Everyone who can give blood, should give blood regularly. And, have your fucking bone marrow typed and added to the national registry while you're at it, especially if you are African American.

 

[deliciously_naughty]

I'm giving blood this June 27th. It doesn't hurt that much, is relatively quick, and could save a life.

Anyone else into giving life?

I've tried twice and both times I passed out. As it turns out my veins are too thin or something like that (I don't remember exactly what the nurse said as I was trying not to puke after regaining consciousness). It does suck because I'd like to.

Incidentally the reason I can't give blood also makes it really hard for me to get an iv...when I was dehydrated a few summers ago (kidney stones) the nurse had to put the needle in a bunch of times before it worked. My arms were soooo bruised.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I'm not allowed to donate blood because I use medicine. I wonder if that also provents me from donating organs in case of emergency or after I've died?