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Give Blood.

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So i'm giving blood tomorrow for the first time as I only turned 17 last week, and to be honest I'm sort of excited.

 

Has anyone given blood before, or do you regularly?

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Never given blood but I've had blood taken from me for testing.

Felt really wierd. Felt woozy afterwards but it felt good.

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I get my blood taken every month, sometimes more, for testing purposes.

 

I'd love to donate, but unfortunately i'm one of those people that is nearly impossible to get blood from. Its trying getting a big enough sample for a lab test not to mention 2 or 3 pints worth.

 

Edit: Also I'm on meds that change the behaviour my blood, and probably would fail the criteria for giving.

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I have given blood and will hopefully be doing it again soon when they come back to my uni. It's okay, makes your arm feel really wierd and a little weak/achey for a while, but it's fiiiine. And you're saving lives, which is always good :)

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There's a big campaign thing going on round my college for people to give blood, we get leaflets left right and centre. I can't give any until July, but when I can I will. Needles, well, the waiting for the little bit of pain, always freaks me out.

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Yeah I realise there's a shortage and I would feel bad if I didn't give it when I can. Also I'm planning on giving bone marrow next year, mainly because Leukemia is a vicious disease, and I'd do all I could to help someone with it.

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How do you give bone marrow? I'd like to hear more about that (both for interest and for possibly donating)

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I would happily give blood if they made it easy for me to do so but there's nowhere near me when I'm at home and the one time the van-thing came to my school was the night I was playing a really important tennis match so I didn't want to risk either of my arms being weak.

 

If they came to Strathclyde I would go and give blood. I'd be even more tempted if they still gave you a pint of Guiness afterwards though.

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Wow, you guys are pretty cool for doing that, as I know it's gonna be a long time before and if ever I give blood, as I've got a bit of an issue with blood and needles, wouldn't be able to be doing it on a regular basis. However, when I die, I'd be all up for bits of me going to new homes if it'll help people.

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Bone marrow harvesting consists of 6 needles, usually inserted into the pelvis. It requires an overnight hospital stay, but apparently it's not painful or anything.

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I want to give blood but I don't know where to do it. A few years ago the van thingy came to our school. I hope they do again.

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I try and give blood as often as I can, usually every 3 or 4 months. The needle doesn't bother me at all, and I feel absolutely fine afterwards, so I'm more than happy to do it.

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I try and give blood as often as I can, usually every 3 or 4 months. The needle doesn't bother me at all, and I feel absolutely fine afterwards, so I'm more than happy to do it.

 

I thought you could only legally give every 6 months to let your body cope with the loss of blood?

 

 

My mum is a regular donor and i think she's given over 30 times ^_^

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They won't let me.

 

Would if I could but ah well.

 

Is it just if you've had sex with a guy, or if you've done anything remotely sexual?

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Is it just if you've had sex with a guy, or if you've done anything remotely sexual?

 

Or weren't born in this country, or your parents weren't born in this country, or if you have any history of genetic illnesses in your family. The list is pretty extensive.

 

http://www.blood.co.uk/pages/flash_questions.html

 

Loads of questions there, don't click yes on any of them though otherwise you can't see the rest (apart from the first one).

 

 

Looking at that list I'm not actually able to give blood until next July because I went to Malawi in the Summer (Malaria infected region). My mum was born in Hong Kong too so that might be another factor when I actually go to give blood.

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Or weren't born in this country, or your parents weren't born in this country, or if you have any history of genetic illnesses in your family. The list is pretty big.

 

I'd realised that, but if I remember correctly when this topic had come up previously a few months ago, he mentioned he couldn't give blood due to being bi. It could have been someone else, but yes I do realise there are other reasons, thanks for pointing those out.:heh:

 

Edit: Ta for the link :)

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I thought it was just unprotected sex? If anyone is interested, go here and if you can, please do give blood.

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It doesn't say there, so I'll ask, is there a time period after the "sexual contact" that blood is then able to be given, or is it never?

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I tried to give blood couple days after I turned 17 but found out i'm not allowed to due to, well I was very sick at one point. Can't donate organs as well, that annoyed me.

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I'll never be able to give blood under the current criteria because, unlike my friends, i'm too opinionated (probs not the right word but i'm tired) to lie about my life to allow me to do something good.

 

It pisses me off when i get all these uni e-mails, and see all these ads asking people to give blood, literally screaming out for more donors, yet if you've had sex with a guy, even protected sex with a guy, then your not allowed to give blood. As if gay blood isn't the same as everyone else's. This is just simply fucking stupid and really riles me up.

 

GAH!!!

 

And all blood is screened anyway before they allow it to be given to other people.

 

So.

 

Fucking.

 

STUPID!

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I thought you could only legally give every 6 months to let your body cope with the loss of blood?

 

 

My mum is a regular donor and i think she's given over 30 times ^_^

It's 4 months, I think, for the blood to re-supply itself in the body.

 

Yeah, the whole anti-gay thing - it's a shame that they have to blanket a whole bunch of people, but it's the "safe" thing to do when stocks are low and they don't have time to test all the blood.

 

I've only given blood once so far... but back in Brighton the blood service keeps sending me mail every week or so telling me about more blood drives going on around the place -- which, of course I can't go to, seeing as I'm miles away. I told them about my relocation and that I'd be happy to get the mail up here, but I think they're fairly attached to chopping down a tree a week and bombarding my old letterbox.

 

I have a 'dream' to be brave enough to organise a blood drive at uni. Would be awesome -- "Hands up if you've ever saved someone's life?", then use my prepared comebacks to any witty-shit-heads who think they're funny, then convince the whole uni to donate, then be the world leader! A few stages missing in that; but primarily, I'm too scared :P

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It's 4 months, I think, for the blood to re-supply itself in the body.

 

Yeah, the whole anti-gay thing - it's a shame that they have to blanket a whole bunch of people, but it's the "safe" thing to do when stocks are low and they don't have time to test all the blood.

 

I've only given blood once so far... but back in Brighton the blood service keeps sending me mail every week or so telling me about more blood drives going on around the place -- which, of course I can't go to, seeing as I'm miles away. I told them about my relocation and that I'd be happy to get the mail up here, but I think they're fairly attached to chopping down a tree a week and bombarding my old letterbox.

 

I have a 'dream' to be brave enough to organise a blood drive at uni. Would be awesome -- "Hands up if you've ever saved someone's life?", then use my prepared comebacks to any witty-shit-heads who think they're funny, then convince the whole uni to donate, then be the world leader! A few stages missing in that; but primarily, I'm too scared :P

 

Sorry, "safe" thing to do, when the sexual orientation that has seen the largest year on year increase in STIs and STDs is heterosexuals, yet still these people aren't equally blanketed with these gross 'sanctions'.

 

Fucking biggoted NHS/Blood Service.

 

It's much akin to saying that women aren't "ideal" to give blood owing to the fact that they are generally weaker-strength wise-than men, so therefore shouldn't give blood as it's not 'good enough'.

 

Really. Fucks. Me. Off.

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I agree I think its sooo stupid I can't give blood because I'm gay. I get tested every 6 months and I have never EVER had a single STD. As the above post says it gets screen before anyway!

 

Its just daft

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I've not given blood yet, but when an opportunity arises for me to do so then i shall give some blood.

 

And i also think it is daft that gay's are not allowed to give blood, i see nothing wrong with gay's giving blood.

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