Are Catholics allowed to donate blood?

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Thank you! Yes, too fast usually means high blood pressure. And I certainly hope it was your vein. An arterial stick will fill a bag VERY rapidly…and yes, it has happened though thankfully very rare.

Glad it was a quick and pleasant process. That’s what they’re aiming for! Your blood donation will become one pack of red cells (usually) one pack of plasma and be part of a six pack of platelets! Thats three llives possibly saved for about 15 minutes of time and a poke! Thanks again!
 
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Understand, they cannot afford to take any chances with the blood supply. There is a brief window period between contracting HIV and testing positive for the virus, during which the patient is contagious but whose blood will test safe. If HIV-contaminated blood is transfused into an uninfected person, the chance of infection is 90%. It is vital, therefore, that anyone known to be at risk of HIV not donate. It is because they so rigorously screen donors and test donated blood that contracting HIV from blood transfusions is now about a once-in-a-decade event, in contrast to the epidemic it was in the 1980’s.
 
I got a certificate in the mail from our local blood bank: I’m a One Gallon Donor. 😁

Not that I’m bragging or anything…

And the crazy thing is, I’m actually proud of that silly piece of paper! I have it hanging on the wall. I think what makes it all the more motivating was that I had no idea there were such awards.
 
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Yah the girl said( I forgot what they are called technically, the avenger of blood? Jk) that if you drink water beforehand and are younger and just the size of your veins could all play a factor.
It was an easy thing and the girl was nice. And yes the questions I understand it totally as it is blood and they need to be thorough. Just never had a girl blatantly ask me if I had sex with a man like that Haha. She was attractive to that probably was why it embarrassed me sort of too.
 
Oh they tell you how much blood you have given total? That’s cool.
 
I think he thought it could be something against the teaching that our bodies are temples. It’s not bad to ask.
 
I had no idea they did that.

There are . . . .2 pints in a quart, 4 quarts in a gallon . . . that makes 8 pints in a gallon . . .I guess I’ve donated 8 times over the course of my life, but it seems like more than that.
 
Now only can we donate blood, we all should, if we are physically cleared to do so.
 
Years ago I received a letter from the Red Cross telling me (not asking) to not give blood any more. A result of being stationed in England in the 80’s while in the Air Force. Apparently I’m a risk for Mad Cow disease. 😞
 
9-12 pints in an average human body…obviously depending on size. Donating a pint of blood every other month is actually good for you! It stimulates further reproduction of red cells. A typical red blood cell (RBC) has about a two month life span so you have turned over all your red cell in a two month period.

Drinking lots of water before a donation is preferred for a couple of reasons. It helps maintain your blood pressure and counters dehydration so your veins will puff up better. Young people are notorious for being a bit on the dehydrated side, especially males. Your recovery is faster if you are well hydrated besides making it easier to find your vein.

There is a medical condition called polycythemia vera where a persons blood is too thick due to overproduction of RBCs. It’s related to iron usage going wrong. The treatment is regular blood donations though we can’t use the blood as we do donor blood. Since they have an illness we can’t transfuse it…sad in a way because their blood is perfectly fine. It can be used for research if I recall correctly.

Especially during the summer months, blood is often desperately needed. Donors are away on vacation and people are involved in more traumas thus needed more often. RBCs are good for two months only. Plasma can be frozen and is good for a year. Platelets are only good for six days! It’s all a very precious commodity and while there is research on artificial blood…we ain’t there yet!
 
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on_the_hill said:
I had no idea they did that.
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My local blood bank has all sorts of awards for different gallon levels…t-shirts, coffee cups, etc. Good advertising for them and a nice thank-you to donors.
Thomasbradley312 said:
How many pints of blood do we have in our body?
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The average adult has between 1.25 and 1.5 gallons of blood…so that would be 10 to 12 pints.
Convert3 said:
Years ago I received a letter from the Red Cross telling me (not asking) to not give blood any more. A result of being stationed in England in the 80’s while in the Air Force. Apparently I’m a risk for Mad Cow disease. 😞
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That’s correct, unfortunately.

There are many reasons for people to be permanently deferred. My dad was permanently deferred after he had a heart attack in the early 1970s. When I had a heart attack 40 years later, I was deferred but just for a year.

I’ve also been temporarily deferred because the iron content in my blood was too low. So I just go eat a few rusty nails and the iron content goes back up… 😉
 
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Because some illnesses, like the Measles are making a come back due to illegal immigration and from some Americans refusing to get the required shots to travel overseas. When people immigrate or visit here legally, they are required to have the appropriate shots to make sure they don’t bring a disease. But when people immigrate illegally, they may not have all the required shots. And when Americans don’t receive all the recommended/required shots to visit select nations, they run the risk of bringing something like Measles back to the USA.
 
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Are you sure you mean smallpox? Measles, yes. Chickenpox, yes. Tuberculosis, yes. Several others, yes. But I haven’t heard of smallpox making any return. We don’t even vaccinate for it anymore! Thanks for any clarifications.
 
Pattylt said:
Are you sure you mean smallpox? Measles, yes. Chickenpox, yes. Tuberculosis, yes. Several others, yes. But I haven’t heard of smallpox making any return. We don’t even vaccinate for it anymore! Thanks for any clarifications.
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I’m sorry, you are correct… I meant the Measles.

He was walking about Smallpox and I got switched up! Thanks for pointing that out, I will fix my post.

NOTE: however, there are some scientists who fear Smallpox might make a return one day due to melting ice and tundra in Siberia

 
Smallpox was eradicated and to date is the only human disease to have been eradicated. I believe the last natural occurring case occurred in 1977.
I believe it only exists at the CDC in Atlanta and somewhere in Russia as well. It has been a debate as to whether to destroy it completely. Those who say to maintain it say we still find things with the virus such as old envelopes etc; and also because its composition has been documented in theory someone could recreate it as a bioweapon.

 
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