Health - Resources and discussion for everything health-related

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.

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.

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?

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

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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

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

Can't smoke weed

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.

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

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

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...

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.

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

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"...

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

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.

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.

:(

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.