PSA: Give Blood

[llcoolvad]

I used to donate blood very regularly, then I started taking meds and I wasn't able to — until recently, I guess! They must have decided that certain medications are ok, so I can donate again. Yay!

And so should you, if you can: Find a drive. We're having a drive at work next week, so that makes it easy for me. Their list of allowed/not allowed is a little more specific than the list on the Red Cross site; not sure why. But I make the cut, so woo!

Comments

[p-j-cleary.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I haven't been allowed to give blood since...well, ever, really. It makes me sad.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

I spent too much time in Britain in the 80's. The Red Cross won't take my blood anymore. And now there's another outbreak of mad cow disease, so I'm really sure there's no point trying to talk them out of it.

[kicking-k.livejournal.com]

I love your icon, my dear.

The BSE thing is getting a little silly, I reckon, although even I ate beef in Britain in the 80s (didn't turn fully vegetarian until 1990) so perhaps I shouldn't speak too soon.

The last three times I've tried to give blood have been total failures. Apparently I have tiny and "evasive" veins (they step out of the way when prodded. Wouldn't you?) which makes it hard to get anything out of me. But they're so desperate for donors that the nurses never tell people not to come back. Only 2% of the population donates here, which I think is totally shameful.

Apparently they used to get a significant proportion of their donations by going around universities, but now so many of the students have recent piercings or tattoos, or have gone somewhere exotic lately, that the number of eligible donors has plummeted. You can donate if you have a piercing, just not for a year (I think) - but a lot of people (including my husband for a good while) remember it wrong, and think they're ineligible forever.