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Give Blood!

What is your blood group?

  • O +

    Votes: 69 22.7%

  • O -

    Votes: 25 8.2%

  • A +

    Votes: 63 20.7%

  • A -

    Votes: 12 3.9%

  • B +

    Votes: 20 6.6%

  • B -

    Votes: 4 1.3%

  • AB +

    Votes: 13 4.3%

  • AB -

    Votes: 5 1.6%

  • Don't know

    Votes: 93 30.6%
  • Total voters
    304
Apparently I can't according to the Red Cross donate blood because of some shots I had in my past.

That sucks, I was signed up to donate tomorrow...now I'm sad.
 
Stadsport said:
This is, of course, despite the fact that a straight guy can literally roll off a hooker and walk into a blood donation clinic.
Click to expand...

There is a question that says: "Have you paid for sex, or had sex with anyone who has paid for sex?"
 
I can't because I lived most of my life in the UK, but even if I could, I wouldn't due to an objection to some of the rules. Specifically, even though I am straight I object to the fact that the FDA does not allow gay males to donate blood. All blood is screened before being accepted, so what does it matter. I object to this prejudice.
 
iSaint said:
I can give double platelets (or something like that) and don't have as many side effects. Of course, if you eat a good breakfast you'll feel fine.
Click to expand...

i'm actually calling tomorrow to donate platelets. the side affects, as you described, aren't as bad and you can donate every 2.5 or 3 weeks whereas it's every 56 days for blood. Plus, they put on a movie for you considering it takes up to 2 hours.

the best part, from what i hear.... the platelets are typically used within 2 days and go straight to dire need patients such as cancer patients (and also due to the fact that platelets don't have as long a shelf life as whole blood).

my record for pumping out a full bag of blood is just over....damn...can't remember if it's 3:34 seconds or 4 mins. All i can remember is that i pumped that damn ball so much that i had an incredibly massive bruise on my arm for 3 days :)

I beat the rest of my team though :)
 
Keebler said:
i'm actually calling tomorrow to donate platelets. the side affects, as you described, aren't as bad and you can donate every 2.5 or 3 weeks whereas it's every 56 days for blood. Plus, they put on a movie for you considering it takes up to 2 hours.
Click to expand...

I could swear I was told to wait a longer period - like 112 days?! :confused:

I've been frustrated the past two times I've tried to give. Our local donor service uses a little bus with three people staffing it, and they get too busy and turn me away. They are, however, beginning to publish their dates in the paper further in advance.
 
j26 said:
Yep, because I lived in the UK for over a year, the Irish Blood Service won't accept my blood.
Click to expand...

They have the same restriction here. Not allowed to give blood if you lived in the UK for a certain amount of time (probably a year).
 
Not 18 yet (grrr.. just four more years, just four more years) And I don't know my blood type, although I know it's A something. I plan to donate once a year when I'm old enough.
 
I actually was allowed to donate today thank God - I gave a Pint of blood at our school's blood drive, it was actually kinda fun, I plan to do it as often as possible :).
 
I envy you. I can't give blood because I have low hemoglobin <12.

Maybe you felt the pain because you had no sugar in your blood. You need to eat before donating. Good luck next time you donate.
 
Until this thread, I was not aware that gay men could not donate blood. It makes sense (I suppose), but I had never heard this before.
 
someguy said:
It makes sense (I suppose),
Click to expand...
Why? Because of AIDs? That's a backwards rule that was made when aids was predominantly in the homosexual community, but now that it's common with all sexual preferences, that rule (IMO) is pointless.
 
O+ here. I try to give regularly as it seems the proper thing to do. Every pint helps up to 3 people.

I have not yet had a negative experience while or after the donation - I usually have OJ and a carb of sorts prior and drink a ton of water after.

The qualifications are always changing the peircing / tattoo has come down to 6 months when it used to be a year. They relax the code as much as they can as there is always a need. Why not take it from everyone? Who knows - I do know the first time they take it and subsequent they do test the blood so it seems strange that there would be a limitation unless one was known to have a disease.

Give - you only have to be 'brave' the first time like going up the first hill of the coaster - the anticipation is what gets you.
 
B positive. I donate pretty much as often as i can with the waiting period. My high school is quite good about having blood drives, we have 4/year. Spring and Fall during school, one during the winter, and one in early July.

I don't understand the reasoning behind people who refuse to give blood. Besides fears, i really see very little behind their arguments. It is painless and to me relaxing. Plus i feel good for helping in an easy way i can :)
 
Any one here donate Plasma? There's nothing like the feeling of your blood coming back into your arm, specially when it was the last return and it sat in the tubes for a few minutes while waiting to be unhooked.

Here is a quick run down for people that don't know how Plasma donation goes:

Blood comes out of your arm, and a saline solution is added as it is coming out. A Bowl is then filled, amount varies person to person, but once it is full, then the bowl turn into a centrifuge. The Plasma is then collected and the red blood cells return.* A fare amount of blood remains in the tubes as to insure no air bubbles get into the blood stream. The process is repeated until approximately 515mL of Blood Plasma is collected. During the final return, the machine stops and holds some blood in the tubes, which is then fed back into you manually by the nurse and gravity.** Hold your arm where the needle was for five minutes, eat a cookie, drink some juice that you choke on because of the sugar content, and you are good to go.

* The first return feels a little weird if you haven't donated before, mainly because of the saline solution. It's hard to describe, but I guess, kinda like ants crawling on you is the best way to describe it.

** Lots of times if the nurses are busy with other people, your blood will sit out of you for a while, so when you get it back, it's kinda cold, like ice cubes going up the inside of you arm, but it goes away almost instantly.


That being said, I donate once a week. I don't get money or anything really, except a smile and some cookies.
 
I can't due to my six years in the UK. My dad's O- and used to give all the time before we went over there, so he was kinda pissed about that regulation.

I don't even know my blood type, though I've always wondered.
 
I've donated 25 times, starting about 6 years ago. Never had a bad reaction but one time it started leaking right at the end (when they were taking the testing samples). So I had to get poked in the other arm so they could get them. Now they take the test samples right at the beginning.

Here the Canadian Blood Services questionaire (http://www.blood.ca/CentreApps/Internet/UW_V502_MainEngine.nsf/resources/Can-I-Donate/$file/01127-F020831-E.pdf)

Greg
 
are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977.

well i guess that figures to you even tho most gay guys are very clean and use more protection that straight guys, if they don't want my blood it is their loss.
 
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