this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2024
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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.

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[–] Pons_Aelius@kbin.social 81 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I know it is bad but i completely understand why.

A group of people who cannot afford health care and are at risk of crippling debt from medical issues are reluctant to donate blood.

[–] JimmyBigSausage@lemm.ee 56 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Especially when they sell it?

[–] Pons_Aelius@kbin.social 65 points 9 months ago (8 children)

Exactly.

Scenario: A person regularly donates blood for years and receives no benefit from it.

Later they need to receive transfusions due to surgery or medical emergency.

They are charged several thousand dollars for the transfusions, the same amount as a person who has never donated.

What is their motivation to donate again?

[–] JimmyBigSausage@lemm.ee 13 points 9 months ago

There is very little.

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[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 17 points 9 months ago

We have also been taught that everything comes at a price and everything is a product. Even ourselves. I can see why being asked to give away something for free in this context just seems bizarre, as necessary as it is.

[–] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 59 points 9 months ago

In a society that bleeds us for every cent it can get its claws on, why would we be expected to turn around and donate anything?

We've been trained that nothing happens without payment... if you want my blood, make an offer.

[–] Evia@lemmy.world 49 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's always young people who're asked to step up. Again and again. Save the environment whilst corporations fuck us; care for the aging population; buy a house and contribute to the economy; fight in proxy wars over a politician's pride. And now it's give blood whilst still being charged extortionate medical costs. Why don't the older generations step up for a change?

[–] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Did you bother to even read the (very short) article? Basically the whole thing is about how people age 40-65 donate more than half of all blood in the country, and that the significant declines in blood donations has been in the under 30 demographic.

With less blood donors, blood becomes more expensive and therefore increases medical costs. As the most generous donation demographics continue to age, those that can still qualify to give blood decreases.

[–] Zortrox@lemmy.sdf.org 22 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I don't think they were talking about how older generations need to donate more. My take on the article and their comment was that younger generations are being asked to "step up" and help the country/people, but in return get shafted on life.

House and food prices doubled over the past 2 years while pay stagnated. Medical bills soar without any signs of universal healthcare being implemented in my lifetime. Student loan debt was temporarily deferred, but now might even need to be reversed with interest. The most the Red Cross can do is say, "We'll give you a shirt if you donate! And maybe a chance to win Super Bowl tickets!" But in return hospitals can charge $219 for the blood.

Overall it's demoralizing. While people should donate because it's needed, it's just a symptom of a larger problem of young people (adults participating in society though) being expected to keep giving without having their voice heard.

[–] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I hear what you're saying, but young people like us not donating blood only ends up screwing us later. We're not hurting "the olds" by not donating blood. The point of the article is that when people donate blood when they're young, they tend to continue doing it more throughout their lives.

If you're looking for personal rewards, it's a free way to reduce the microplastics in your blood stream, of which young people tend to have more. And it's just the right thing to do. This seems like a fairly poignant example of misplaced, impotent intergenerational anger.

Not donating blood isn't how this gets resolved. But, I do understand how symbolically this feels weird. Nevertheless, as I recall, people under 40 are more likely to suffer injuries involving massive blood loss (guns being the #1 cause of death for people under 18 surely plays into that), and reducing the available blood supply doesn't seem to get us anywhere.

[–] Zortrox@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Oh, sorry. I'm not saying I think its a conscious decision to screw people over or that people only donate since they get something out of it. I think it's just one more social responsibility that gets lost under the rest of everything going on.

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[–] ashok36@lemmy.world 47 points 9 months ago (2 children)

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

[–] Thcdenton@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago

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

[–] kofe@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago

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

[–] CosmicApe@kbin.social 42 points 9 months ago

Sure, I'll donate when I'm not working 70 hour weeks and actually have some time to.

[–] reverendsteveii@lemm.ee 41 points 9 months ago

they told me I'm a plague-ridden queer and that I'm not welcome. Happy to accommodate.

[–] doingless@lemmy.world 39 points 9 months ago (4 children)

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?

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[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 37 points 9 months ago (4 children)

The young people also need free medical care and education. No wonder number of donors is dropping. When you are suppose to give something away they plea your goodness of the heart and helping others. When you need transfusions it's several thousands of dollars thank you.

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[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 36 points 9 months ago

Weren't gay men barred entirely? Yeah, I was considered "high risk" by category all those years despite being squeaky clean. Big regrets now, huh.

[–] books@lemmy.world 35 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I'll do it but it will cost you 1,000 a month or 10,500 a year... And I might not go every month...but you still have to pay.

We live in a subscription based society after all.

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[–] Mango@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago

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".

[–] Daveyborn@lemmy.world 21 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Used to donate, would get about 15 calls a day asking me to come donate the next day. Not sure if daily blood donations is sustainable.

[–] Bahnd@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago

Exactly this, my job has called in that donation bus a few times. I always go because its an excuse to not work for an hour and I get a cookie.

After the first report came in I got some very helpful blood info. After that it got frustrating, as donating blood is very much in support of the public good, but the org that handles it will turn around and sell it (as part of someones hospital bill), then spam you with emails and calls asking for more...

[–] awwwyissss@lemm.ee 9 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Yeah, I stopped giving blood because of the constant harassing phone calls.

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[–] pohart@programming.dev 19 points 9 months ago (3 children)

The day my mother passed, she received at least 3 bags of blood. All it brought her was a few unconscious hours. I don't have the words to describe how overwhelmingly thankful i was that day and still am for those individuals who gave their blood to my mother.

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[–] Shampoo_Bottle@lemmy.ca 18 points 9 months ago

I'll donate when I can afford to get treatment for the condition that makes me anemic.

[–] GluWu@lemm.ee 17 points 9 months ago

I can't even afford health insurance, I need to keep all my blood inside me.

[–] TammyTobacco@lemmy.ml 16 points 9 months ago

Well as a gay they never wanted my blood before so I'm just going to go ahead and keep it.

[–] Sloogs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

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.

[–] Something_Complex@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] Chozo@kbin.social 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Yes you can. You just can't donate if your usage affects your usage affects your comprehension.

https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/news/article/can-you-donate-blood-if-you-use-cannabis-.html

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[–] BoxerDevil@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (3 children)

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

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[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 11 points 9 months ago

They user to do blood drives in the office but they kept laying off people that managed it....

[–] SecretSauces@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago

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...

[–] PrettyLights@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago (2 children)

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.

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[–] Snapz@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

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"...

[–] TheFriendlyDickhead@lemm.ee 9 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

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.

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[–] Yewb@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

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

[–] Adramis@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I used to donate blood pre-transition, but my first try after transition I got told that I would need to "have my medicines approved" by some home office for...being on testosterone. Literally no difference between my blood and a cis man's. Called the office on the number provided. They never answered. I left a message. They never called back.

:(

[–] Cowlitz@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

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.

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