Blood donation

[Serbia]

I donated once, so I could find out my blood type (since forgotten). When finished, I got up, walked over to where my Dad was sitting. He asked if I wanted to drive home, I said no, turned my back to him, and fell over backwards into his lap. After coming to, the nurses put me in a station to lie down for awhile. After 15 minutes, I tried to get up, and nearly fainted again. So that was exciting.

[Skoffin]

Haven't donated so far. I wanted to, but first I was too young, then I was too busy. I will likely have to wait a while now anyway. I've had enough blood taken out of me for tests and what not already, that and I'm rather sick. I likely will sometime early next year when I'm better, since I just had to go and get a sickness that could last months << Bah.
And my blood does not represent me at all! pfft O+, the universal giver. Do I look like a sharer to you!

[satanspaladin]

I've not donated blood being a lesbian they class you high risk.
but they let me donate my eggs weird

[Harijan]

I donate as often as I can. Donating blood has the following benefits:
1. Good civic service
2. If you go to the right places and donate often then you can have some of your own blood held in reserve in case you ever need it.
3. Great way to lose a little extra weight. And i do not mean the blood they remove. For every pint of blood you donate your body will burn 6,000-7,000 calories to replace it (according to the nurse I asked).
4. If you have slightly higher blood preasure, donating blood regularly will help keep it lower.

When I was in college I donated plasma for cash. I went as often as I could (about twice a week). When I went home for the holidays at the end of the semester my mom freaked out. Donating plasma regularly for 3-4 months is the absolute best way to imitate a heroin addict. Needle holes in the arm, significant weight loss, pale skin.

The plasma deal is great, but I would not recommend doing it for a regular source of income. Maybe for Beer funds once a month or so.

[MeDeFe]

I agree SP, that is weird. Here they just ask if you have intercourse with frequently changing partners. Hetero- or homosexual doesn't make a difference as far as I remember.

[Simonov]

I've not donated blood being a lesbian they class you high risk.
but they let me donate my eggs weird

Higher incidence for homosexuals to get AIDS, same is with promiscuous people. Detecting early stages of disease is hard so better to prevent possible infection by blood.

You are in one of the risk groups along with other who are banned for it because of their social behavior (promiscuous people, addicts, alcoholics and the rest of the merry bunch) which makes them more susceptible to blood transmitted diseases (hepatitis, AIDS etc).

[khellendros]

Thats actually a misconception from the early days of aids back when it was just plain easier to blame it on the homosexuals...there is no real data supporting a higher risk of stds in homosexuals. Promiscuity and meth use on the other hand...

[Simonov]

Thats actually a misconception from the early days of aids back when it was just plain easier to blame it on the homosexuals...there is no real data supporting a higher risk of stds in homosexuals. Promiscuity and meth use on the other hand...

I don't say it the only factor but homosexuality puts one at higher risk to get a disease, along with other factors you talk about.

[khellendros]

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci= ... =&id=17691
Heterosexual women are actually the biggest risk right now...or at least in the US

[Simonov]

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci=108&ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=17691
Heterosexual women are actually the biggest risk right now...or at least in the US

interesting... didn't know that.

Today, however, all donated units of blood are tested, not just for antibodies to HIV, but for the presence of the virus itself.

if really all blood units go trough these testings then i guess it should be allowed.

[Harijan]

Thats actually a misconception from the early days of aids back when it was just plain easier to blame it on the homosexuals...there is no real data supporting a higher risk of stds in homosexuals. Promiscuity and meth use on the other hand...

In the early days HIV was much more prominent in the male homosexual community than anywhere else. It is also easier for a carrier of HIV to transmit the virus by playing the pitcher in anal sex than any other normal sexual intercourse.

You need to have semen to blood contact for optimal infection conditions. Anal sex almost always causes tearing in and around the anus and sphincter even if the catcher doesn't feel it.

It was easier for AIDS to be transmitted through anal sex, and the gay community was the first and hardest hit social group. It is not all misconception and speculation.

While it was a misconception that AIDS was a "gay disease", it is very much true that the male gay community was the hardest hit group in America by the first wave of the AIDS epidemic.

This is why anyone participating in homosexual activity is not allowed to donate blood. It is based in the epidemiology of the disease, not institutional discrimination.

Now, why homosexual women are not allowed to donate makes no sense at all. It would be almost impossible for one woman to give another woman the aids virus through any normal sexual activity.

[Harijan]

if really all blood units go trough these testings then i guess it should be allowed.

because the test are 99.99% accurate, but if you were the 10,000 person got the bloof from the failed test, you would be pissed.

[UnderSeage]

Ive have donated blood many times. And I also am an organ donor. You guys should all do the same. I think you should donate everything to everyone. I would be a sperm donor, urine donor, hair donor...whatever it takes.

[khellendros]

I have had three fillings done without anesthesia because the needles are worse than the pain of the filling...when I had my wisdom teeth pulled I was so tense from the little needle in my arm that they had to double the dose to knock me out...no way in hell I could ever sit through having my blood drawn. An organ donor on the other hand...I'll be dead, so what do I need organs for?

[trestain]

I am unable to give blood as i had leukaemia when i was 18 yrs old so am not allowed to. I have however persuaded most of mine and my wifes family to donate.

everyone should give blood if they are able to if it was not for the at least 500 transfusions i had in a 3 yr spell i would not be here today

[Simonov]

if really all blood units go trough these testings then i guess it should be allowed.

because the test are 99.99% accurate, but if you were the 10,000 person got the blood from the failed test, you would be pissed.

yes, but it's reasonable risk.

as the one you take when u give blood. if blood donor must go trough this i don't see reason for recipients not to do the same. overall benefit can't be denied though.

In exceedingly rare cases, improperly inserting the needle can lead to serious injuries, and sometimes even death. However, common-sense risk assessment should be applied to this risk. If everyone abstained from donating because of this small risk, the morbidity and mortality in others who needed blood and could not get it would be much, much greater.

[Simonov]

I have had three fillings done without anesthesia because the needles are worse than the pain of the filling...when I had my wisdom teeth pulled I was so tense from the little needle in my arm that they had to double the dose to knock me out...no way in hell I could ever sit through having my blood drawn. An organ donor on the other hand...I'll be dead, so what do I need organs for?

wuss, i don't even feel the needle when receiving local dental anesthesia - more of a problem is you mouth is numb afterwards and you droll all over the place. well i guess everyone of us has their own fears/phobias.

p.s. well i had to adapt to that since i was forced to give my blood for tests often during my childhood (go with the brunettes they do it painless, blonds usually suck at taking blood)

[khellendros]

I have had three fillings done without anesthesia because the needles are worse than the pain of the filling...when I had my wisdom teeth pulled I was so tense from the little needle in my arm that they had to double the dose to knock me out...no way in hell I could ever sit through having my blood drawn. An organ donor on the other hand...I'll be dead, so what do I need organs for?

wuss, i don't even feel the needle when receiving local dental anesthesia - more of a problem is you mouth is numb afterwards and you droll all over the place. well i guess everyone of us has their own fears/phobias.

I don't have a problem with the pain...the thought of that tiny little thing goin in through skin and muscle just drives me up a wall

[Strife]

I have indeed donated blood on several occasions, I'm O- UNIVERSAL FTW!

[soundout9]

I HATE NEEDLES

[AndrewLC]

I have a bleeding disorder, so I can't.

P.S. I can still donate semen right?

[Nobunaga]

... I must've given blood a hundred times. It wasn't good will, it was orders. The ship I was on had a "walking blood bank" and, unfortunately, I was ordered to be a member. I couldn't figure it out, I mean, I'm A+, nothing rare here . . .

... I got a half day off every time, but I also got sick half the time. That blew.

...

[Hitman079]

i'd love to, but there have been no blood drives i've known of, and i don't want to trouble my parents with asking to drive to the hospital. i don't know my blood type either, and according to my parents i only have some common type however, i'm planning to donate my organs if i can just find out how

[MeDeFe]

Don't you have a bike, hitman?

[doomraider77]

I donate as often as I can. Donating blood has the following benefits:
1. Good civic service
2. If you go to the right places and donate often then you can have some of your own blood held in reserve in case you ever need it.
3. Great way to lose a little extra weight. And i do not mean the blood they remove. For every pint of blood you donate your body will burn 6,000-7,000 calories to replace it (according to the nurse I asked).
4. If you have slightly higher blood preasure, donating blood regularly will help keep it lower.

When I was in college I donated plasma for cash. I went as often as I could (about twice a week). When I went home for the holidays at the end of the semester my mom freaked out. Donating plasma regularly for 3-4 months is the absolute best way to imitate a heroin addict. Needle holes in the arm, significant weight loss, pale skin.

The plasma deal is great, but I would not recommend doing it for a regular source of income. Maybe for Beer funds once a month or so.

I like the sound of that. Could do with the cash and extra weight lose