reformedxile
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https://www.npr.org/2024/01/09/1223734878/red-cross-blood-shortage-national-blood-donor-month
If interested in donating but not sure where to go
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive
Wirefun
What about the non-emergency blood?
khopesh87
Haven't been allowed to give blood to em since 2010 when I admitted to having had sexual contact with another man. Apparently that alone was enough to disqualify you from ever donating again, and they kept records of it. Supposedly that's changed, but I'm not about to waste my time and try only to be turned away again.
AGiantSlor
Same. I wanted to see what they would do for plasma if you admitted it. Oh well!
PulpyOJ
I had a very unpleasant experience last time I gave over a decade ago and haven’t donated since. Took the donation person 3-4 tries to find the vein initially then it kept coming out over the course of donating. Ended up becoming nauseous, dizzy, and lightheaded. Previous donations went through no problem.
WhatisaYute
I have O- blood, a universal donor, but they won't take my blood because it's gay blood. They lessened the abstinence period, but it's still 3 months. Cmon now. Weirdly, they'll take my gay O- organs, which are filled with gay O- blood, but not the gay O- blood itself.
jcombs1
There has to be a better system. We donate it to RC, they sell it to the hospitals and the hospitals charge us if we need a transfusion.
escargogurt
bring back peer-to-peer blood sharing!
iotaprime
Do they still prevent you from giving blood if you've ever had anal sex? (or within the last year? Whatever it says, it's been a while).
meganical
I think it asks “in the last three months” on the questionnaire but I don’t really remember because I’m not cool and never meet any of the risky limitations
Somerandomoldguy
I got knocked off the list because my significant other was African at the time.
itdweeb
Last I heard this was the case. There are likely a significant number of people to whom this doesn't apply that won't donate because that rule is in place.