Will your health really deteriorate after donating blood? You must know these common senses...

Expert of this article: Song Yingwei, Chief Technician of Transfusion Medicine Department, First Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

This article was reviewed by Wang Deqing, Director of the Department of Transfusion Medicine, First Medical Center, PLA General Hospital, PhD Supervisor

On September 23, a news item titled "Beijing blood donors plan to receive double incentives" became a hot topic.

It is reported that Beijing plans to distribute blood donation souvenirs to blood donors. Blood donors are expected to be listed on the blood donation honor roll and announced to the public. Individuals who have donated blood multiple times will also be awarded the honorary badge for voluntary blood donation.

Weibo screenshot

Some people may ask, why is blood donation free, but blood use is paid? Does blood donation really make people's health worse?

You must know these basic knowledge about blood donation!

Free blood donation = lucrative business?

There have always been different opinions about voluntary blood donation on the Internet.

In fact, Article 8 of the Blood Donation Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates that blood stations are institutions that collect and provide blood for clinical use and are non-profit public welfare organizations. Governments at all levels should include the operating expenses and personnel expenses of blood stations in the government's fiscal budget to ensure their normal and healthy operation.

Therefore, blood stations are not profit-making organizations, let alone profiteering organizations.

Why is blood donation free but blood use paid?

Although blood is donated free of charge by blood donors, it needs to go through processes such as collection, testing, separation, storage and transportation before being used on clinical patients. This involves costs such as site warehouses, instruments and equipment, blood tests, disposable medical consumables, personnel and management.

Of course, when the voluntary blood donor, his spouse and immediate family members need blood clinically, they can be exempted from or reduced the fees specified in the preceding paragraph in accordance with the regulations of the provincial, municipal, autonomous regional or municipal people's government.

There is a saying on the Internet that "donating blood will make people's health worse"? Is it true or false?

Will donating blood make people's health worse?

In fact, the claim that donating blood will make your body worse is completely false.

You should know that the blood donation process is very strict, and you can't donate blood just because you want to.

Before donating blood, blood collection and supply institutions will conduct strict physical examinations (health consultation, physical examination, blood tests, etc.). Blood donors must meet the physical examination standards for free blood donation before they can participate in free blood donation.

It is very safe for a healthy adult who meets the blood donation requirements to donate 200-400 ml of blood at a time, and it will not affect the health of the blood donor.

So what are the benefits of donating blood?

In fact, regularly donating blood can promote the production of blood cells and keep the bone marrow vigorous and active.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in the UK and Leiden University in the Netherlands published their research results on factors affecting aging in Nature Communications.

Researchers have found that abnormal iron metabolism in the blood may lead to many aging-related diseases and thus affect life expectancy. In other words, excess iron in the body can be extremely detrimental to human health. Donating blood is an effective way to excrete excess iron from the body.

It is easy to donate blood, but difficult to use blood?

Blood donation regulations in many places provide policy support for giving priority to blood donors or their immediate family members when they seek medical treatment, but sometimes the current tight blood inventory situation must also be considered.

To solve this problem, we must strengthen the blood donation awareness among healthy people of appropriate age, so that those who meet the blood donation requirements can actively participate in the voluntary blood donation campaign.

The World Health Organization points out that when the number of unpaid blood donors in a country reaches 50‰ of its total population, the country's clinical blood demand can be met! In 2020, my country's blood donation rate per thousand people was only 11.1‰.

Over the past 20 years since the implementation of voluntary blood donation in my country, the number of voluntary blood donors nationwide has increased from 328,000 in 1998 to 15.53 million in 2020, a 47-fold increase.

How many patients in our country need blood transfusions every year?

It is reported that every year in my country, there are nearly 4 million cancer patients, 1.2 million patients with aplastic anemia, 300,000 patients with postpartum hemorrhage, 200,000 heart surgery patients, 40,000 children with leukemia and patients with other diseases requiring blood transfusions who need blood to sustain their lives.

Taking the current "Beijing Blood Donation Management Measures" as an example, voluntary blood donors can enjoy the following preferential policies for blood use:

(1) A blood donor can use five times the amount of blood donated free of charge within ten years from the date of donation, and can use twice the amount of blood donated free of charge after ten years;

(2) Blood donors who have donated more than 1,000 milliliters of blood can use blood for free for life without limit;

(3) The spouse and immediate family members of a blood donor can use an amount of blood equal to the amount donated free of charge within ten years from the date of blood donation.

If a blood donor donates machine-harvested platelets, the amount of blood donated will be calculated based on one machine-harvested unit equivalent to 400 milliliters of whole blood when the donor, his spouse, and immediate family members enjoy blood use discounts.

What are the precautions for donating blood?

1. The 2019 edition of the "Technical Operating Procedures for Blood Stations" stipulates: The country recommends that the blood donation age be between 18 and 55 years old; male weight ≥ 50kg, female weight ≥ 45kg.

After donating whole blood, you can donate whole blood again after more than half a year, and you can donate component blood after more than three months; you can donate component blood again two weeks after donating component blood, and you can donate whole blood after one month.

2. People with menstrual infectious diseases or serious problems with important organs are not allowed to donate blood. People with colds, inflammation, or three days before or after menstruation should postpone blood donation.

3. Do not take any medication one week before donating blood.

4. You need to have a light meal before donating blood, and do not donate blood on an empty stomach. You should drink an appropriate amount of sugar water or plain water before donating blood.

5. Do not drink alcohol the day before and on the day of blood donation.

6. You should ensure adequate sleep the night before and on the day of blood donation and avoid strenuous exercise.

7. Please bring a valid ID (citizen ID, military ID, passport, driver's license, etc.) when donating blood.