Being a Blood Donor

Before you can give blood, you will be given a screening test. The screening test will help indicate if you are healthy, and include measurements of your pulse, temperature blood pressure and iron levels. They will ask you for your name, phone number, address, age, proof of identification as well as questions about your lifestyle including you’re sexual history to prevent people with HIV or other infectious diseases from donating. After you have successfully passed the screening test, you will be asked to sit in a chair or lie on a table, where a needle will be placed into you’re sterilized arm. Blood will run to a collection back through a soft tube for about 15 minutes or until there is just under a pint of blood collected. After you are done donating, you are expecting to relax for a few minutes until you feel strong enough to get up. Juice, water and small snakes will be provided to you so you can replace fluid and sugar levels. Most people are fine after donating blood, although some find that they feel weak and shaky. If you are feeling well, it is fine for you to return to school or work. By donating blood you are helping cancer, surgery, burn and accident victims. You may also be helping premature infants, and children with leukemia. You’re blood can be broken down so that specific parts of the blood, for example, white blood cells, can be given to certain patients. You should not donate blood if you have tested positive for HIV, have had sex for drugs or money since 1977, have had homosexual sex since 1977, if you have multiple scleroses, have suffered a heart attack or stroke, or have hepatitis C. You’re doctor or blood donor clinic can give you any additional information that you need or will make you feel more comfortable with donating blood Bart Samuri writes about many topics including - charities, donation services and blood donation. This article is free to re-print as long as nothing is changed, all links remained intacked, the bio remains in full and the rel="nofollow" tag is not added to any of the links. Thank-you - Please visit Donations Online for more charity donation resources.