College campuses provide a large
pool of potential blood donors, but many students are unaware of restrictions to
prevent them from donating.
Students
generally understand that they need to be healthy in order to donate blood, but
are often surprised to be turned away despite having good health. Healthy students often prevented from giving blood include
petite women, gay males, vegetarians, veterans
serving in Iraq, students recently traveled abroad, and students recently received tattoos or piercings. For people in these categories, being healthy
is not a guarantee for blood donation eligibility.
Students
must weigh at least 110 pounds in order to donate blood, regardless of their
health. Blood volume is partially
determined by body weight. Lighter
students generally have lower blood volumes and may not be able to tolerate the
loss of a pint of blood, the amount
needed to make a full donation. This
restriction is put in place for the safety of prospective donors.
Men
who have had sex with other men automatically receive a lifetime ban from
donating blood. Potential donators must
participate in a confidential interview about their sexual history; gay men answering honestly will be indefinitely deferred from
donating. This is a Food and Drug
Administration policy that blood donation banks such as the Red Cross are
required to follow. There has been
controversy over the rationality and scientific-basis behind this policy, but
it is enforced to protect blood recipients from potential harm.
Vegetarian
students are often unable to donate blood due to the lack of sufficient iron
levels. Vegetarians are often thought to
have healthier diets than other students, but meat is a main source of iron
that vegetarians do not receive. Before
donating, iron levels are checked in a blood sample. Many vegetarians are unaware of an iron
deficiency before having a blood sample taken.
To avoid anemia, vegetarians can eat iron-rich foods such as spinach,
tofu, broccoli, and beans, or take iron-supplements.
Veterans
from Iraq within the last 12 months are prevented from giving blood. This restriction is in place to prevent the
spread of Leishmanaisis, a parasitic infection transmitted through the bite of
infected sand flies. The infection can
be transmitted from a donor to a patient through transfusion. Anyone with Leishmanaisis in the past is
permanently ineligible to donate blood.
Students
traveled or lived in countries where malaria is found often are deferred from
giving blood. Malaria is a blood
infection caused by a parasite
transmitted through blood transfusion.
It is possible to have a new infection of malaria without having
symptoms, so students must wait a full year to donate after visiting any
country with malaria.
It
is also possible to feel well but have a very mild case of malaria, especially
for those in areas where malaria is
found for extended periods of time. Students in a country where malaria is found must wait
at least three years to give blood after returning to the United States. Students who have recently participated in
study-abroad programs in South America, Africa, and Asia are often barred from
donating blood as these continents contain many places with a high malaria
risk.
Students who have recently
received piercings or tattoos may also be prevented from donating. Students unsure of the sterility of their
piercings should wait a year before donating blood. Students who have received tattoos in states
that do not regulate tattoo facilities must also wait a year before
donating. Wisconsin does regulate its
tattoo facilities.
