Why do you donate blood?

[simmons]

I am conducting research for an MBA project and would like to understand behavioral preferences for blood donations. Less than half of the eligible population for donating blood actually donates and I am curious to find out why. This information will be kept confidential. Thank you.

[Deny Morlino]

I began donating as a college student as the need was made very evident to the student population and I always remembered my dad donating. After I began working in the lab setting it was evident the need still existed and having units readily available was important to my job. Now it is a lifelong habit as long as I qualify to donate.

[David Saikin]

Started in college . . . saw the need and continue to donate. Though now I do a double red cell once a year and a single donation - I ref basketball/baseball/softball and can't get too hgb depleted during those seasons. Many folks are afraid of the needle. I tell them that if donating was a horrible/painful experience, people would only do it once. The hardest thing is to get soemone to try it the first time.

[goodchild]

I donate blood because I work in this field and I can see how important it is (I'm O Neg rr). My experiences when I was in Iraq with the army play a part as well. I worked with the first apheresis center in a war zone, and we had a struggle finding donors for a while (the british/australian military were probably our biggest supporters). I remember one night in particular I was pulled out of my cot in the middle of the night to try and get some emergency platelet products collected and I actually had to teach my tent-mate how to use the apheresis machine on the spot so we could just collect a platelet off of me.

[jayinsat]

I used to donate every 8 weeks for many years up untill about the last 5 years. I started having trouble keeping my H&H up and would have to take 6months off and self treat with iron supplements. Our local blood donor center also hired a group of phlebotomist who were, we'll say, less-than sensitive and not customer friendly. They were truthfully very rude! It has made it very unpleasant for me to donate with them. I feel bad because I am O+ and, as a blood banker, I understand the importance. However, that's a big needle and, in the wrong hands, can be very painful.

[L106]

My service sorority in college sponsored and assisted in blood drives on campus twice a year, so that's how & when I started donating. Working in a hospital Lab made it obvious how important the precious commodity of donated blood is to the patients we serve. I donate every 8 weeks (unless I have a major scheduling conflict) and should hit my 100th donation in the Spring.

[QAZ]

I'm O-, CMV- and a mom. I like to think that my red cells might help some other mom's baby. And my platelet count is generally around 400,000. They can collect a double platelet from me quickly. I've had several close friends and family members who've needed platelets during surgery or because of cancer treatment. Ok, it sounds like I'm doing it to help others, but to be honest, it's probably because it makes me feel important.

[BobG]

I started in high school. Both of my parents were in heathcare and they always donated. I felt it was my obligation as a health young adult to donate blood and possibly help someone in need. I still donate several times a year. It makes me feel good knowing that maybe I helped someone.

[simmons]

Thank you all for your responses.

[tbostock]

I'm type O, so I know that is always needed. In New York State, less than 2% of eligible donors donate, so we are ALWAYS short of blood; we actually get some of our supply imported from the Midwest, where people tend to be more "generous" than New Yorkers.

[Deny Morlino]

Very active donation from the population around here, but the donor broup is aging rapidly. Large concentration of B Positive donors from our locale too.

[reidhospbb]

As a type O+ and having worked in a transfusion service for the past 31 years I have seen the shortages. I also am the donor chairperson for the blood drive we have every eight weeks or so at our hospital. We have a very stable, very reliable group of donors that always makes our drive successful. The primary reason forme is that I understand that an hour of my time may make it possible for someone else to add many years to their life.

[LaraT23]

I am A neg with A2 cells and am CMV neg. I donate for many of the same reasons as other people here, seeing how much blood we go through and then seeing how much better patients do when they are given a needed transfusion, it really can lengthen their lives. As to why I don't donate sometimes? I live in a small town and we do not have a donor center here. The blood center closest to me comes in to town on their mobile units, and I will donate if they are here on weekends or here at the hospital. Most of the time for me it is location or time constraint or sinus infections!

[dundalk20]

I donate my A- blood for 2 reasons;

1. I am helping my fellow man or woman in their time of need.

2. It reduces the incidence of stroke and heart attacks in men by 30% and in women by 19%.

[Marilyn Plett]

I started donating on my first blood bank job. The need was great and the blood supply was less stable than it is today. I would donate and carry my whole blood back to the blood bank. However, I lived in England during the high-risk period for CJD. None of my family can donate in the US today. And they're group O's, a blood type which is always in high demand. I wonder if this exclusion will ever change. I may be "mad" but it's not caused by CJD!

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

I gave when Joyce Poole discovered that I was Ch-; I was really proud of being "rare".

Then I discovered that anti-Ch was not clinically significant; but by that time I was hooked!

[lateonenite]

I donate, though not that regularly, because of working in blood bank, but I started in the first place because my mum was in hospital and the mobile van was there that day.

I asked a friend of mine who works in publishing, because she does donate regularly and said:

I'm up to about 28 donations now. I started when I was at uni, a friend

of mine took me along. On the first one I was rejected because I was

anemic. The main reason I kept doing it was because I got a meal out of

it, and at uni I was massively broke so that was a real drawcard. The

other reason I kept going at uni was because I got the motorbike, and I

figured that given the possibility of accidents it was in my own

interest to make sure the blood stocks were up (never actually had a

blood transfusion though, or a bike accident). Anyway after that it

became a habit to go a couple of times a year.

One of the reasons I still donate is because its like a mini-checkup a

couple of times a year, where I get my iron levels and blood pressure

checked, and now they record your weight (which I'm not fond of!)

[Eagle Eye]

i donate whenever my H&H is up within acceptable range.

[Losmeister]

Been donating since High School.

Its one of the most generous anonymous goodwill deeds a human animal can do.

Since HS, mostly rbc's, but about 25 aphersis platelet donations in the last 3 yrs.

Work in the field drives home the necessity.

And if you wait for the next guy ( or gal for that matter ) to do the right thing,

you might wait a long time...

[Barb Thompson]

I started donating in college, and donated myself into iron deficiency about 10 years ago. Now I can't seem to get my H&H up high enough to donate more than once or twice a year, even with iron therapy. Too bad, because I am O pos, CMV neg, R2R2 (my reference lab loves my blood). I donate because I know what the need is. I tried donating platelets, but my veins aren't good enough for that.