'Sup Blood.
I’m always surprised by the changing nature of the questions on the blood donation form. Each time one gives blood there is a short form one must fill out. A few of the most recent gems below;
28. In the last 12 months have you been in juvenile detention, lockup, jail or prison for more than 72 hours?
72 hours in a jail is enough to put someone at risk for blood borne pathogens? I guess we all know something is wrong with the prison system but wow.
30. From 1980 through 1996 did you spend time that adds up to three months in the UK?
32. From 1980 to the present did you spend time that adds up to five years in Europe?
33. From 1980 to the present did you receive a blood transfusion in the UK?
I suspect the UK and Europe questions have to do with Mad Cow disease .
47. Have you ever had sexual contact with anyone who was born in or lived in Africa?
48. Have you ever been to Africa?
Those two were a surprise because I don’t recall seeing them on a previous questionnaire. Just visiting the continent is enough to raise a flag? Africa is worse for your health than Jail?
55. Have you ever been pregnant? If yes how many times?
This one was also a surprise. I have no idea why it would matter if you had ever been pregnant, nor the amount of children you’ve had.
Incidentally I am A- as is 6% of the US population.
(Everyone in South Korea is RH Positive?)
28. In the last 12 months have you been in juvenile detention, lockup, jail or prison for more than 72 hours?
72 hours in a jail is enough to put someone at risk for blood borne pathogens? I guess we all know something is wrong with the prison system but wow.
30. From 1980 through 1996 did you spend time that adds up to three months in the UK?
32. From 1980 to the present did you spend time that adds up to five years in Europe?
33. From 1980 to the present did you receive a blood transfusion in the UK?
I suspect the UK and Europe questions have to do with Mad Cow disease .
47. Have you ever had sexual contact with anyone who was born in or lived in Africa?
48. Have you ever been to Africa?
Those two were a surprise because I don’t recall seeing them on a previous questionnaire. Just visiting the continent is enough to raise a flag? Africa is worse for your health than Jail?
55. Have you ever been pregnant? If yes how many times?
This one was also a surprise. I have no idea why it would matter if you had ever been pregnant, nor the amount of children you’ve had.
Incidentally I am A- as is 6% of the US population.
Distribution of ABO and Rh Blood types
| Population | O+ | A+ | B+ | AB+ | O− | A− | B− | AB− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 40% | 31% | 8% | 2% | 9% | 7% | 2% | 1% |
| Finland | 27% | 38% | 15% | 7% | 4% | 6% | 2% | 1% |
| Sweden | 32% | 37% | 10% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 2% | 1% |
| France | 36% | 37% | 9% | 3% | 6% | 7% | 1% | 1% |
| Korea, South | 27% | 34% | 27% | 11% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| UK | 37% | 35% | 8% | 3% | 7% | 7% | 2% | 1% |
| USA | 38% | 34% | 9% | 3% | 7% | 6% | 2% | 1% |
(Everyone in South Korea is RH Positive?)
posted by Yen at
2:57 PM
3 Comments:
Blood has other odd aspects. Once they collect it, it enters a commercial distribution network, just like any other commodity-- sold by extractors to middlemen to distributors to hospitals, who will sell it retail to consumers-- maybe even you- with delivery and wherehousers taking a cut.
except, you, dear brother, gave it to them for free (or a cookie) and now eveyone in the chain will proft handsomely but the supplier.
By
Anonymous, at 11:02 AM
And I have struggled with this as well. Sure I'm being charitable but my charity is almost always going to a for profit company. As you say, the firm that organizes the blood drives, then sells the blood off, just another commodity traded and sold.
The thing is, when it comes to blood, the other system, where you sell you own blood, didn't seem to work either.
By paying people, we gave incentives for them to lie about past drug use, sexual activity, etc. which contributed to a tainted blood supply in the 70’s and 80’s and a decimation of the entire hemophiliac population by the 90's. So, in order to make the blood supply safe(r) we can’t rely on paying people for blood.
Or perhaps we can, and the Free Blood interest has just blinded me to other alternatives. In any case it's a good ruse to get out of half hour of work and have some free snacks.
By
Yen, at 11:37 AM
the blood supply got poisoned because it wasn't tested. Its tested now. You really think you're little questionairre is all that stands between another massive poisoning of the blood supply?
I think blood and organs should be given away (the commodity, not the service), but only to people who donate blood and are organ donors. No one else gets any. I think that will increase supply.
By
$9,000,000,000 Write Off, at 2:25 PM
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