Why do you have to wait a year to donate blood if you've had a blood transfusion?
I had a blood transfusion last September when I was in a car accident, and I know I have to wait a year to donate blood. But why do you have to wait a year? What happens in a year that makes it ok to give blood again? lol.
Its just in case the blood you were transfused with was carrying a disease. The idea is that in one year, either symptoms would have shown up, or a blood test will show the presence of the disease. Blood tests can't show diseases immediatly. Lets say a person contracts AIDS today. It won't show in a test right away.
That sounds kinda scary, but the fact is that donors and blood are screened so thouroughly that the chance of contracting a disease from a US blood transfusion are almost zero. The fact that we even defer people who have recieved blood from a US blood bank from donating back into that same blood bank is just more evidence that we take no chances.
So enjoy your year off, and then get back in the chair!
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July 1st, 2006 at 2:54 pm
The idea is that it takes time for viruses like HIV to show up in your blood stream.
Alot of the silly laws regarding blood donations are terribly out-dated.
For instance, you can't donate blood if you are gay either… even though gay men are no longer at biggest risk for HIV transmission - now it is African American females…
The whole thing is just stupid because they have to test the blood for everything anyway…
Doesn't inspire much confidence, does it?
References :
July 3rd, 2006 at 11:38 am
Its just in case the blood you were transfused with was carrying a disease. The idea is that in one year, either symptoms would have shown up, or a blood test will show the presence of the disease. Blood tests can't show diseases immediatly. Lets say a person contracts AIDS today. It won't show in a test right away.
That sounds kinda scary, but the fact is that donors and blood are screened so thouroughly that the chance of contracting a disease from a US blood transfusion are almost zero. The fact that we even defer people who have recieved blood from a US blood bank from donating back into that same blood bank is just more evidence that we take no chances.
So enjoy your year off, and then get back in the chair!
References :