Do Something Amazing- Give Blood

Aries

I started giving blood when I was 18.
I managed to give 47 donations then I had to stop due to a health problem.
I was most dissapointed when I had to stop as another 3 donations and I would have got my Gold award.
If anyone want to give blood just GO.its such a worthwhile cause.
I never had any side effects.

Prudent

I decided to follow this through this morning and find out and where and when I could give blood. The link on page one only seeems to cover England and Wales. Where can I find out about Scotland?

fannyadams

There y' go
http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/scotblood/

Given my hazardous occupation and lifestyle I give coz there might be a time when I get my own back.

Testee

I started giving blood at the age of 18 but had a lot of trouble when I was younger with low blood pressure, difficult to find veins, bruising, fainting etc.. However it has to be said that the National Blood Bank staff are much better now and if you tell them you've had problems in the past then you get the senior nurse take your blood and I have absolutely no problems now.

I am very fortunate in that my employer supports the blood donor scheme and holds a session on site every 16 weeks and we are encouraged to give blood - no-one clocks me in and out, I get a nice lie-down and then a cup of tea and a biscuit plus the warm fuzzy feelling of having helped someone in need.

My husband needed several pints of blood when he was in hospital two years ago and I will always be grateful that someone donated that blood to save his life.

frizz_head

A friend of mine who emigrated to Australia is not allowed to donate blood over there because she is British, and the associated risk of CJD!!!!!!

That is the reason why people who have received a blood transfusion are no longer able to donate - because of the risks of having received contaminated (CJD) blood.

Barcode

I refuse to do it, for as long as gay people cannot donate, I will refuse to help out. The ironic thing is that I'm probably lower risk than some of the heterosexual people that donate who have slept around. I'm female, and I know the ban applies to gay men, but solidarity and all of that. The ban is based on uninformed generalizations, and I will refuse to have no part in it.

skint-78

In one sense I think it is admirable to refuse on the grounds that some of the criteria for being unable to donate are blatantly discriminatory.
I have given blood in the past, despite bing aware of the criteria around donating. I am also a gay woman and I would like to support other gay people who are discriminated against.
The compromising element for me though is that now I need transfusions, it also made me wish that everyone who is able to, would donate.
I wonder if there is anything going on to have the criteria changed?

lavandergirl_2

In a medical point of view, it is understandable to have strict qualifications in order to donate blood. When I went on holiday to a country where malaria exist, I had to wait for 6 months till I could be cleared and enough to donate a blood. Though I knew I didnt have malaria and did not even come in close contact with a person with one, I had to understand the repercussions if they had made the qualifications less stringent.

This link is good about gay blood donation issues
http://www.aegis.com/pubs/gmhc/2000/GM141101.htmlhttp://www.aegis.com/pubs/gmhc/2000/GM141101.html

This link will provide about the types of HIV found in some countries in Africa. It tells about Type O HIV where it can go undetected to readily availble tests.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/docs/A3B6D78E-6430-4093-96B9-27F990216C5D.asp


The problem with HIV is the window period where it could go undetected. As even when the virus is in the host body, the person hasnt developed the antibodies to detect the presence of HIV.

Another thing we have to consider is the fact that medical tests for blood bourne infections are expensive.

Some people say that the receiving end is the patient. It is always skating on a thin ice whenever the issues are between medical policy versus social policy. People will always have different sides of the story but it is better to err at the side of caution.

I do hope someday when the medical and biotechnology have advanced that we will be able to solve the issues. Perhaps only then that the criteria will be changed.

:T

lavandergirl_2

oops . this is the correct link

http://www.aegis.com/pubs/gmhc/2000/GM141101.html

StudentSaver_2

I first gave blood when I was 17. My mum had just become uneligibile to donate because she had a transfusion whilst giving birth to me. So I was kind of "taking over" where she left off.

Two years later, and I'm not allowed to give blood....I'm on daily antibiotics and I will be for the foreseeable future. I wish I could give blood, and I have persuaded a few of my friends to go to the sessions when they visit our uni. The first time they went, I went in with them for support....got free tea and biscuits out of it!