Why can't some people donate blood?

Question

I have a friend who says that tried to donate blood once and was told she couldn't. She said that it was because she was born in another country (Germany) and her dad was in the military during 1987. Does this make any sense? Why wouldn't she be able to donate blood?

Answer 1

"Mad Cow", otherwise known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. There is a huge restriction on those who lived in Europe from 1980 onwards.

That said, there are other organizations that will let persons in this group give blood.

Answer 2

I'm surprised no one else figured out why this particular person was barred from donating blood; have they forgotten recent history that quickly?

In case most people have forgotten, the Chernobyl accident happened in 1986, in Ukraine; much of Europe was at risk for radiation contamination for a while afterwards. There is still a sizable quarantine area around the site to this day, and many people, not just those in Ukraine, continue to develop or be treated for side effects. I work with someone who is barred for life from donating blood because they happened to live in Europe during the time of the Chernobyl accident. If your friend had merely been born in Germany and hadn't been in Europe during that time, they wouldn't be barred from donating blood--in this case, the place of birth alone isn't the reason, although in some cases it can be, depending on other locations in the world.

Answer 3

Easiest way to check that out is to go in yourself and offer to donate. Very few donors have to be turned down. You'll get a comprehensive question and answer session (which takes only a few minutes) and one drop of blood to check your iron level before you donate, and the American Red Cross will take three or four very small test tubes of your blood in addition to the pint bag (no extra sticks required). It's no big deal, takes only a few minutes for the actual draw, and you hardly feel the needle except for the first little stick. Some individuals have donated many gallons this way.

Some patients and operations require many pints of blood, and sometimes a single pint can be the difference between life and death for a person that you will probably never meet, but might like a lot if you did. GO FOR IT!

Answer 4

This depends on the persons particulars - blood-group or type, previous or current illness awareness, anemia, hereditary reasons, willful donation within the rules stated by the donor bank collectors - these have rules and regulations to run by and laws to abide - national health issues are at risk should a wrong diagnosis be done and acted upon heresay. Legal consequences can run into serious mis-management should a wrong blood be drawn and then used to treat someone else and it doesn't. As the saying goes, you don't need to bribe to get blood but to give it you need to be okayed.

Answer 5

There are lots of reasons why people can't donate. They may vary from place to place.

In general, you will not be able to donate if you have any medical condition such as anaemia or have involved yourself in an activity that may increase the risk of transferring an infection to the receiver of your blood.

These can include (but are not limited to):
- Visiting countries at risk for Malaria
- Recent dental work
- Recent tattoos
- Unprotected sex outside of a monogamous relationship
- Recent "Live" virus vaccines
- Recent or present illness

There are always other reasons, some of which she may not want to share. Some people just can't watch a pint of their own red stuff filling a bag in front of them. At least she tried.

Answer 6

usually its if you have a disease or you have a genetic disease that spreads through teh blood or somethign liek that. i don't know whats wrong with being born in germany and having your dad in the military though. Maybe they have a strange rule where you can only be born in the US or have to be a citizen in the US to donate blood or something

Answer 7

Me, was in England in 1999 and ate beef. Mad Cow baby got me knocked off the donation list for life along with everyone else on the deployment.

My wife suspects I had sex with Central African women when I was over there. Totally not true(we were all warned about the AIDS thing).

3 gallon club- no more

Ret. USAF SNCO

Answer 8

Because she was born in another country she was exposed to certain diseases that may lie dormant in her blood and because her dad was Army, she probably had to get certain vaccines that aren't given to most people. HOWEVER, recently the Red Cross has changed its policies. She needs to go back in and check into if she can donate.

Answer 9

I haven't been able to donate blood since being stationed at the Embassy in Nairobi back in the 80's. Besides that nasty anti-malaria meds we had to take, I was exposed to Hepatitis and the anti-bodies are still in my blood. Tests show I don't have it, but they still tell me not to donate.

Answer 10

There are certain areas, behaviors, and living conditions that carry a higher risk of blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. All of the major blood banks have FDA-prescribed guidelines they have to follow to minimize the risk of transmitting these diseases, and refusing to accept donors from certain places is one of those guidelines.