5 Things to Know About Donating Blood

January is celebrated as National Blood Donor Awareness Month, marking this time of year as critical for raising awareness about the benefits of and ongoing need for blood donations in the US. Here are 5 things everyone should know about donating blood, and reasons to make blood donation a part of new year’s resolutions.

Donating blood can save more than 1 life | image credit: New Africa - stock.adobe.com

1. Blood Donations Save Lives

Having a reliable blood supply—including plasma, platelets, and red blood cells—is vital for the success of many surgeries, types of cancer treatment, managing chronic illness, and addressing traumatic injuries.¹

Cancer treatments can impede patients from being able to produce their own platelets; patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, among other blood disorders, often require numerous transfusions to manage their condition; trauma patients, from severe burns, accidents, and more, urgently need donor blood to ensure their survival—and the same goes for those having heart surgery or various forms of organ transplant.² In some instances, patients who have been in a car accident may need up to 100 units of blood.

Notably, blood donations are so valuable because the components of blood can be separated, meaning a single donation will likely benefit more than 1 person, saving multiple lives.

2. A Consistent Need

According to the American Red Cross, a person in the US needs blood and/or platelets every 2 seconds. With each passing day, they estimate that 6500 units of plasma, 5000 units of platelets, and 29,000 units of red blood cells should be collected to keep up with patients’ needs. In totality, blood transfusions use almost 16 million blood components in the US annually.

Chronic diseases, like SCD, impact up to 100,000 people throughout the US; approximately 1000 newborns are diagnosed annually. Additionally, the American Red Cross estimated that nearly 2 million people would receive a cancer diagnosis in 2023, with many needing blood while undergoing chemotherapy—and some needing blood daily.

3. Donation Shortages/Challenges

The nation’s blood supply solely relies on donors because neither blood nor its components can be manufactured.

At present, there are 90 hospital-based blood centers and 53 community blood centers that collect around 60% of the US blood supply; the American Red Cross collects the remaining 40%. The nation’s demand for blood cannot always be reached, however, as only 3% of those who are age-eligible for blood donation end up donating each year.¹

Donors with type O-negative blood are always in greater demand because their blood can be donated to anyone, they are the “universal donors.” Yet, this blood type only makes up about 7% of the US population.

Rates of donation fluctuate, which can carry great implications for health systems’ abilities to provide adequate care. For example, data indicate that, in 2021, there were nearly 6.5 million donors; however, this was an 11% decrease compared to 2019. Yet, although from 2019-2021 there were decreased donor rates for those aged 16-18 years (60.7%) and 19-24 years (31.9%), there were increased donations received from those aged 25-64 years (14.1%) and 65 years or older (40.7%).³

4. How Often Can Someone Donate?

The human adult, on average, carries approximately 10.5 pints of blood, equating to nearly 11 pounds and surpassing a gallon’s worth. People can donate blood once every 8 weeks; however, they may donate plasma at a much higher rate: as much as twice in a 7-day period, so long as they separate donations by at least 2 days.³

Those who donate, on average, do so approximately 1.8 times each year but can up to 6 times per year.

Red blood cell donations need to be used within 42 days of receiving them and platelet donations need to be put to use no later than 5 days after receiving them.¹

5. Who Is Eligible?

Eligibility can depend on the type of donation, whether it be a red blood cell, platelet, or AB elite plasma donation. The majority of states say donor’s must be at least aged 17 years—19 years for female red blood cell donation—with minimum height and weight requirements.⁴

Donors should be in good health and feeling well at the time of their donation. Illnesses, such as the cold or flu, low iron, recent international travel (potential exposure to disease), and certain medication prescriptions can lead to potential donors being deferred/donations being rejected.

For individuals unable to donate, hosting a blood drive, volunteering at one, or making monetary donations are all ways to help these causes. For more information on types of donations, eligibility, reasons someone cannot donate, and more, please visit here and explore the American Red Cross website.

References

1. Importance of the Blood Supply. American Red Cross. Accessed January 8, 2025. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/how-blood-donations-help/blood-needs-blood-supply.html

2. Who Can You Help by Donating Blood? American Red Cross. Accessed January 8, 2025. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/how-blood-donations-help.html#:~:text=Who%20Can%20You%20Help%20by,in%20the%20U.S.%20needs%20blood

3. U.S. Blood Donation — Statistics and Public Messaging Guide. America’s Blood Centers. 2024. Accessed January 8, 2025. https://americasblood.org/statistics_guide/

4. Requirements by Donation Type. American Red Cross. Accessed January 9, 2025. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements.html