I have O neg blood which is considered universal donor. Should I give blood? I am a terrible coward?

Question

Plus I have a tattoo and drink lots of wine on the weekends. Am I still eligible? I'm not great with needles.

Answer 1

in my opinion you should,and it dont matter if you got O neg or not,the fact that you willingly would give something from yourself to help another,is great..:-)
and about the tattoo and the wine,the medic will test you before you can actually give blood anyway,so no worries there..
and if ya ask me,it is not you that has to be great with needles,aslong the medic knows what to do,it all will be ok.
and look at it this way,giving blood is good for you too,your body will make some new blood to replace the one that you gave away.
so if ya ask me,its a win-win situation..
greetings

Answer 2

If you are O neg than you should seriously consider giving blood. The tattoo shouldn't matter, as long as you have had it for more than six months, and the wine won't matter either.

Nobody can force you and at the end of the day it is your decision. But you should be aware that the national blood service is in the process of introducing tests for CJD markers. This will probably eliminate around half of potential blood donors. When this happens there will be a blood shortage, meaning more group A, B and AB patients will be given group O blood.

You may also be interested to know that although group O blood is a universal donor, people with group O blood can not recieve any other type of blood. So if, god forbid, anything should happen to you and you need blood you will have to rely on others to give you their blood.

Answer 3

I'm hopeless with needles too, but I give blood. If it helps, look away when they put the needle in.

As for the wine and tattoo, as long as the tattoo wasn't done in the last 12 months and you're not intoxicated at the time of giving blood then you should be eligible.

If you have any doubts about your eligibility or anything else you can speak to the nurses in confidence, and if you can't donate for whatever reason there's no problem.

Plus as someone else has mentioned, you get a drink and a biscuit afterwards.

Well done for considering it.

Answer 4

Giving blood is a great way to help others. It takes about half an hour and it is painless to you and can relieve pain and suffering in others. As long as there is no medical reason not to give your blood you should go for it. If you give regularly you get a series of stickers or tokens which gives you a real lift as they gather in numbers.
I am also an O negative and as this is one of the more rare blood groups your contribution will be a great one.
If you are a bit of a coward about the sight of blood, just don't look either at what is done to you or what is being done to others around you when you go.
Then enjoy your tea and biscuits afterwards, Your body starts to make up the blood loss straight away and you will feel no effects afterwards.
Finally, if you ever needed a blood transfusion then you would be eternally grateful to those other O neg donors.
Good luck.

Answer 5

Don't feel pressure to give blood... it's hard for some people. You're probably eligible-- depending on when you got the tattoo (the wine doesn't matter). But, it's better to not give than to give blood and pass out or feel sick afterwards.

You have a common blood type, so there are a lot of donors out there with it. So, if you're not comfortable with it-- don't give. It's not mandatory.

There are lots of other things you can to do to help people or to make the world a better place. Volunteer at a hospital, or a school. Donate money to the Red Cross. Walk dogs at the local animal shelter. But don't feel like you have to give blood.

Answer 6

YES, definitely, and so should everyone. I'm O- too, and Ive a tattoo, but once you've had your tattoo for a year than its fine, its ok that you drink too, once your in general good health your good to go. I don't know what I have in my blood but it gets sent to the special infants ward every time, its so rewarding when I get told that my blood helped saved the life of a baby....
And as for the needle, it stings for 30sec and then that's it, the nurses that take the blood are extremely professional and know how to take it with out that much pain.
Just eat a good meal at least 3hours before hand, and if your taking any medication remember to tell the staff.
Good luck.

Answer 7

It's natural to be a bit scared of giving blood, but it really doesn't hurt - if you coped with a tattoo, giving blood is a doddle. They won't let you give blood if the tattoo is recent (less that 6 months old?). As for the wine, that's no problem.

It's a very restful hour or so. If you're a busy person who never gets time to relax, just lying there for a few minutes then resting afterwards does you the world of good.

Answer 8

Yes you should give blood. You can still have a tattoo and donate blood as long as its been a year since you got the tattoo. I am a blood donor and give every 56 days! I am 0 postive and they are always calling me to donate. Drinking wine is okay, because when you donate, your blood is filtered and cleaned! :o)

I donate with Lifeshare Blood Center in Louisiana. But you can donate at local hospital, pathology lab or a blood center. Each month over 14,000 caring people donate blood with LifeShare Blood Centers to assure an adequate supply for patients in area hospitals. Every day in our area patients need 470 units of blood components.

Statistics show that one out of every three people will need a blood transfusion during their lifetime. Last year, numerous patients were helped with more than 178,000 units of blood and blood components from donors for patient’s transfusion needs from over 165,000 donors. All blood donors are important, but if you are type O or AB, you are special because type O negative red blood cells and type AB plasma can be transfused to any patient. Your donations are VITAL - please donate as often as you can, every 56 days for red blood cells and every 28 days for plasma.

Just remember you can save up to 4 lives when you donate!! Save lives, donate blood!! Plus it makes ya feel good knowing that you can save up to 4 lives just by donating blood.

Ohh about the needles, there is alittle sting, but no pain afterwards..... just look the other way! If I could, I would hold your hand! :o) Have done it many of times!! Also be sure that you eat a good breakfast and lunch before you donate! Be a hero and go and donate! Good luck!

Answer 9

Ultimately the blood bank is the one who decides if they can/cannot use your blood.
I am sure having a tattoo doesn't preclude you from giving blood and wines on the weekends isn't going to affect the quality of your blood either. So the real determinant is whether you're able to overcome your fear of the needle.
Giving blood is not only a rewarding gift, but its also saving people's life who may need that blood.

Answer 10

You might be required to fill out a form that states you've had a tattoo. People that have tattoos are considered high-risk for certain diseases and their blood might not be eligible for donation. You'll have to ask at your local clinic.
Donating blood doesn't hurt, you only feel a bit of a pinch when the needle is inserted (if it's done properly).