I can't donate blood. You probably can't
donate blood either, if you meet any of these criteria:
- If you are 17 or younger you may not donate blood, yet
- If you weigh less than 110 pounds you may not donate blood
- If you have had a blood transfusion in the past 12 months you may not give blood
- If you have been treated with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or horomonal therapy, you may not give blood
- If you have used cocaine or other nasal drugs within the past 12 months you may not give blood
- If you have given blood within the last 8 weeks you may not give blood, yet
- If you are a male who has had sex with another male since 1977 you may not give blood
- If you have ever used a needle to inject drugs not perscribed by a physician you may not give blood
- If you have taken drugs or money in exchange for sex since 1977 you are not eligible to give blood
- If you have recieved a tattoo in the past 12 months you are not allowed to give blood
- If you have recently traveled to a country with high-risk of certain diseases, you may not be eligible to give blood
For a full list of the rules, visit http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/blood/learn/eligibl.html or better yet, click here:
Who is allowed to donate blood?
So, it seems as though there are a huge number of potential donors excluded from donating. What, then, are we to do, if we wish to contribute something?
Donate money to the Red Cross: If you're unable to directly give blood to the organization, money you donate will still be used to help save lives. Money will be used to facilitate blood collection, to assist in disaster relief operations, and for relief in combat areas.
Convince your friends and family to donate. If you can't give blood yourself, what better way to help out then to get one or more others to give blood in your place? If you can convince two friends to donate, then the world is twice as well off than if you had simply given blood yourself.
Become an Organ Donor. If you register as an organ donor, and tell your friends and family, it will assure that in the unfortunate event of your death, your pieces will at least be used constructively. Note that many of the restrictions on giving blood might prevent you from becoming an organ donor, but the age and weight requirements will not.
Facilitate happiness. If you can't do anything else, you can simply do your part to make the world a better place. A polite comment to a stranger walking down the street could possibly brighten their entire day, which, while isn't quite saving a life, is still a noble cause.
Apologies for the US-centricness of this WU, but it is where I live, and can obtain the information easiest, and the guidelines should be similar in most other countries.