Blood donations have fallen to catastrophic levels. Experts say young people need to step up.

Changes to the requirements for donating blood coupled with the pandemic have led to a drop-off in the number of teens and young adults donating blood.

It was a white T-shirt bearing the likeness of Snoopy wearing shades and leaning effortlessly against the iconic American Red Cross logo that prompted a surge in blood donations in the spring of 2023.

“Be cool. Give blood,” the shirt urged. The message — on young people, anyway — was effective. More than 70,000 people under age 35 responded to the call, rolling up their sleeves and giving blood in exchange for the coveted tees.

The need for blood is urgent. Over the holidays, the Red Cross had 7,000 fewer units of blood available than were needed by hospitals, said Dr. Eric Gehrie, the executive medical director of the American Red Cross. The organization speculated it would need about 8,000 additional donations every week in January to ensure that hospitals are fully supplied, he added.

Showroom7561,

Didn’t they used to pay people for plasma? Has that gone away or have the rates not caught up to inflation?

CADmonkey,

Pay them for it. How much does one get billed for a pint of blood?

PrettyLights,

I used to donate a lot and dealt with the harassing phone calls and because I wanted to do my part.

After a series of bad donations where my arm looked like a crime scene, I finally got someone who knew what they were doing with the needle. I remarked how glad I was they got it on the first try and mentioned how bad it usually was. The technician told me with a straight face “oh yeah most of the others are butchers, I’d never donate here”. I donate a lot less now.

Red Cross and other orgs if you’re reading this, go undercover at your own facilities and you’ll see why fewer people are donating.

whostosay,

Why are we even considering still donating to these money hungry pieces of shit anyway? Do we not have the technology to donate at your local hospital?

Not a stab at you, OP, just trying to avoid the trainwreck that is the red cross.

PrettyLights,

I’ve never seen any advertisement for donating at the hospital and my quick internet searches aren’t pulling up anything for my state.

I did find a local blood bank though which might be a better option.

Cowlitz,

Hmm let’s see. I constantly get harassed multiple times a day to do it. Even though I’m underweight and can’t donate. Ive told them this. Even when I met the weight requirement donating only caused me trouble. Last 2 times I donated they had to hold the needle in my arm because their phlebotomists suck. Im not a hard stick. I can literally set an IV myself but its not like they’ll let me. If I had not gotten a full unit they would have thrown it out. Im not going through a ton of effort to throw it out. I have to work and given my past issues dont like donating on days I don’t have off.

On top of that, the time before that they sent me to the ER because I was still lightheaded and couldn’t stand after waiting an hour. I got to pay an ER and ambulance bill for the privelege of giving my blood away for free. Its not surprising ive soured on the idea. Donaters take on all the risk in our for profit system and get none of the profit.

SecretSauces,
@SecretSauces@lemmy.world avatar

I’ve tried donating, but every time i go they ask so many questions. Things like, “who’s blood is that?” and “why is it in a bucket?”.

I’m just trying to help, gosh…

Fleur__,
@Fleur__@lemmy.world avatar

Incentivise it

Snapz,

Continued streak of tone deaf conversation of the world after the start of the pandemic. The world has changed fundamentally, but maybe if we pretend hard enough that people just need to “step up”…

Chickenstalker,

Let the Boomers die.

pinkdrunkenelephants,

And the millennials and zoomers who need blood can just go die with them

You all are morally repugnant and vile.

UraniumBlazer,

Fuck you. My grandma is actively dying right now and we’re doing everything that we can to stop that. She faced domestic abuse practically her entire life. Despite this, she worked hard through it and is still fighting hard to live on. Sure, she might not have been the nicest person alive, but she sure as hell doesn’t deserve shit like this from losers like you. Go fuck yourself with a cactus.

Yewb,

Make donations of blood give you healthcare funny bucks - we can spend them on life saving procedures or loot boxes!

Sloogs,

I’m in Canada, but my province also has a shortage of blood donations except… they got rid of the blood donation clinics in a bunch of cities in 2015, including my own, saying they could easily get the province’s needs met in major population centers and there was no need for it? Just bizarre.

Mango,

I do more than enough for my privilege level. I’m not doing more until my level of freedom is higher than “if someone at work doesn’t like me, I’m kicked out of decent living”.

ashok36,

Why? So when we need it they can sell it back to us for $10k/liter?

Thcdenton,

Seriously. It’s a fucking racket. Gimmie a slice of that cheese.

kofe,

This is why I “donate” plasma instead. Still helping people, can do it more often, and my first month after a long break gave me $600 in 6 visits

It’s gonna drop down to maybe $150-250 in the next month but it’ll still be at least $25 for an hour out of my day twice a week.

Would be nice if there were no monetary system so it weren’t so exploitative but hey, I’ll keep dreaming

BoxerDevil,

If they would let gay people donate it would help a lot

MeaanBeaan,

They already do.

BoxerDevil,

Guess I missed that.

Dolphinfreetuna,

Now I have to tell my coworkers I can’t give blood because I keep having anal sex every 3 months.

TheFriendlyDickhead,

I donate blood regulary and I actually enjoy the process. Where I donate they are all very kind and afterwards I can sit in a room with endless food and drinks. I even get a little bit of money for my troubles. Would recommend just giving it a try. If it’s not for you nobody blames you if you never do it again.

Edit: An extra is that they check your blood for a lot of stuff and if they find something you know very early and can treat it easily. Free blood checkup.

cujo,

Where is this that you get paid for blood donation? That sounds like a reasonable thing to do

TheFriendlyDickhead,

Im donating at a hospital in germany. A plus is that they only use my blood to actually help people in that hospital and don’t sell any of it to big pharma.

doingless,

Pay me. Well. This is like restaurants paying $9 complaining that nobody wants to work. If I go to the ER and get an aspirin it’s like $3k. But they want my blood for free. How much would it cost if I needed a pint or two of blood in the ER?

Hikermick,

They often do offer gift cards. If you were serious about what you said you’d know that

BradleyUffner,

I’ve donated for decades in multiple states and the closest thing to payment I’ve ever gotten was a $5 off coupon for Bass Pro Shop.

doingless,

Maybe in some areas. I’ve donated many times and never received anything. I haven’t donated in the last three years though. I’m officially in the pay me camp now. I can’t afford healthcare.

Daveyborn,
@Daveyborn@lemmy.world avatar

Area and time dependent yes, I’d get them occasionally before red cross spam calling me chased me off.

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