kins

I'm not allowed to donate blood in the UK either, because I received a blood transfusion in 2003.

Tegwyn

Same with me, both because of my time in Africa and the UK.

Rete

Nor are you ability to donate blood and/or organs if you have had cancer in the past, even if it is over 20 years since you had the disease.

WEBlue

Doesn't this depend upon the type of cancer and how it was treated? Cancers of the blood (leukemia, lymphoma) do automatically disqualify someone from ever donating blood.

However, having a history of certain other types of cancer that have been successfully treated in the past with surgery or radiation, for instance, does not prevent one from donating blood--providing a certain amount of time has elapsed with no recurrance.

http://www.redcrossblood.org/donatin...criteria-topic

Rete

Well the Red Cross was the organization that sent me packing and told me they would not accept my blood and that I could not donate organs because of breast cancer. They the gene that causes breast cancer is carried in the blood and they don't want contaminate someone elses blood with my genes.

BTW I had previously donated over a gallon of blood.

TexasPenguin

I too have been mildly irritated that I can't give blood here. I got up to 100 pints in England and quite liked the "warm and fuzzy" you got each time!
I have signed up for the Bone Marrow registry http://http://bethematch.org/ and there's apparently no problem with that.
One though I have had and don't know whether it's possible - on a trip back to the UK would it be possible to just walk into a mobile donation unit and give blood?

WEBlue

Hmmm, yes I think this was the fear in the past, that there was a small chance cancer could be transmitted via blood transfusion. But the American Red Cross changed the rule for cancer survivors a few years ago.

http://www.newenglandblood.org/giving/cancer.htm

DebzinUS

I have not been able to donate blood for years.

In the US every death must be immediately reported to the State tissue/organ donation program. This is federal law. It doesn't matter whether the patient has a sticker on their license or not. The nurse reporting the death has a conversation with the organ procurement agency about the deceased medical history. Based on the information given, the organ procurement folks decide whether the patient is a candidate for either eye or tissue donation. The conversation about organ donation occurs prior to death, usually when brain death has been established.

Rete

Wouldn't expect a clear response from a brain dead person

Never heard of this federal law when was it enacted?

DebzinUS

Uniform Anatomical Gift Act,1986 (Last amended 2009)

DebzinUS

Ha ...should have said the conversation occurs with the organ procurement agency about the potential donor

durham_lad

I am O= (rhesus and cmv negative) and used to give blood every 3 months to my local hospital when we lived in Louisiana, was a member of their "Baby Club" as my blood was used for new borns. I was disappointed when the new rules came into place, but as is pointed out above that is America's problem, no point worrying about it.

Zoe Bell

I discovered that people at my place of employment don't share my sense of humour.
We had a blood drive , where people were encouraged to go and gve blood. I was telling people that I couldn't ( rules are similar here in Canada)

There are a few expats on staff so a colleague asked " oh is it because you are English"
Noone saw the humour in my saying "no its because I used to be a prostitute!"

Cue shocked faces and noone knowing quite what to say
No sense of humour at all

SpoogleDrummer

If no-one got their wallets out and chanced their arm you should be offended.

lansbury

If you can't donate blood you can always become a volunteer for the American Red Cross Blood Services. I've couriered blood for 5 years around Oregon and Washington State when a hospital needs blood urgently. You can also help out at blood drives, helping others to donate.