Challenge #15: 10 reasons to donate blood

Donate blood at the first chance you get.

If possible do it this week.

 “Blood is meant to circulate. Pass it around.”

-The Fresh Quotes

Hey, guys!

Let’a go straight to business and list 10 reasons to donate blood.

1. You can save up to three lives by donating blood.
2. There are many people in need of blood as you read this post.
3. There is no substitute for human blood – if no one donated blood there would be no blood to give to those in need of it.
4. This is probably the easiest way to contribute to the community in such a huge way.
5. More blood is needed every day as the Earth’s population grows.
6. It’s something we can spare – our bodies are built to replace the amount of donated blood.
7. It reduces the amount of iron in the body which reduces the risk of heart disease – according to some studies regular blood donors are 88% less likely to suffer a heart attack.
8. Blood donation lowers the risk of cancer.
9. When you donate blood you receive a free health exam. So in case, there’s something wrong with you, they will find out and notify you.
10. You’ll find out which is your blood type – this is a very good thing to know since that information can sometimes make a difference between life and death.

It’s amazing what we can do by donating 1 pint (ca. 0,5 dl) of blood. Basically, you can be a hero for up to three people by a single donation. We believe that most of you only needed to hear the first reason to be convinced to donate blood the first chance you’ll get.

But doing something good for our health is also something we all like, right? Saving lives and improving your health at the same time – could donating blood be any cooler? 🙂

“Only 5 percent of the eligible population that can donate (blood) actually does.”

–Kristen Hatfield

There are many different questions encountered when we talk about blood donation. Such as who can donate blood, how often can you donate blood, are there any limitations regarding blood donation, can you donate blood if you have a tattoo, how to donate blood, can you make money donating blood and many other.

We’ll do our best to answer some of those questions in the best possible way. So let’s dig into it.

Who can donate blood?

The people who can donate blood or the eligible population are not the same in every country, though they are very similar. Typical basic limitations are as follows:

• you should be fit and healthy,
• you have to weight over 110 lbs (50 kg),
• your age must be between 17 and 66 (70 if you’ve donated before).

But there are quite a lot of additional potential limitations in the case of receiving certain health treatment, taking certain medication, traveling in certain countries, fresh tattoos (tattooed in the past 12 months), fresh piercings (a tongue, nose, belly button or genital piercing in the past 12 months), pregnancy, illnesses, …

Normally you don’t have to worry about those too much since they will give you a form with questions which will cover all of the above listed potential limitations.

There’s an additional limitation in some countries. We are embarrassed that this one still exists – it’s just wrong if you ask us. They named it MSM – “Men who have had sex with other men, at any time since 1977 (the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the United States).”

Who we sleep with really shouldn’t take part in determining who can or can’t donate blood …

Here’s our general advice: If you feel healthy, your age is between 17 – 66, and you’re willing to donate blood, just go to one of the blood donation centers. In case you won’t be able to donate it or they won’t be able to accept your blood due to some of the above-listed limitations, you’ll know you tried and did your best.

“If you’re a blood donor, you’re a hero to someone, somewhere, who received your gracious gift of life.”

-The Fresh Quotes

How often can you donate blood?

Typically, women can give blood every 4 months and men every 3 months (for 1-pint donations).

Can you donate blood if you have a tattoo?

This is one of the most often asked questions regarding blood donating limitations, so we guess it deserves an answer:

You can donate blood if you have a tattoo, as long as your newest tattoo is 12 months old or older. 

How to donate blood

Usually, there are two options:

1. There is a blood donation campaign scheduled on a predefined day.
2. You pay a visit to a blood donation center on a day of your choice.

The first option is usually “advertised” by posters and other types of advertising, where you get all the information you need. If you prefer the second option, you should just type blood donation centers near me into google. That way you’ll easily find their phone number or address to schedule your appointment.

Can you make money donating blood?

The answer is YES. But will you still be helping others? Not in a way you might think.

We believe we should all be willing to donate our blood for free and take the pleasure of helping others as a payment. But let’s say someone is really struggling financially and at the same time he/she wants to help others. Why not, right?

They will still give their blood, which will help others and if someone is willing to pay them for their blood, good for them. But that is only partly true. For instance, in the US the federal government prohibits the use of blood collected from paid donors for transfusions in hospitals, and it’s similar in other countries. Typically, that blood is used by pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies.

Moreover, we should add that you won’t be able to make a lot of money that way – only up to $200 per month in the US.

Take-home points:

• Donate blood at the first chance you get.

• Make a habit out of it – donate blood at least once a year.

• There are some limitations to who can donate blood – age, health condition, weight, and others.

• Google “blood donation center near me”.

• Have a fabulous week. Donate blood! You never know when you or someone of your loved ones might need it.

“Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.”

–Frank A. Clark

Love,

Good Earthlings