The Student Room Group

Giving Blood

I'm going to give blood for the first time, tomorrow. I was fine with it up til now, when I've had a sudden bout of nerves. Although i'm determined to go through with it, I'm now worrying that I'll faint or something XD
It shouldn't hurt TOO much, right?
Any advice/ reassurance from people who've given blood in the past welcome! Thanks!

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Reply 1
It doesn't hurt in the slightest, apart from a tiny prick when the needle goes in. Advice....be brave :biggrin: Oh yeh, and if you don't like the site of blood, close your eyes, or look away!

regards
--marty
Reply 2
it doesnt hurt at all dont worry about it, there is only a slight pain when the needle first goes in. They should be very supportive if its your first time so i wouldnt worry about it. One thing i would advise is do not look at your blood as its comming out or other peoples, as i was told thats when some people may faint. Take a book or mag with you so your mind will be off it.
Reply 3
Doesn't hurt at all.... the most painful thing is the finger prick test they do to check you aren't anaemic.
And you shouldn't faint, although last time I went to give blood someone did. They make sure you are feeling ok before you get up, and give you free tea and biscuits to increase your blood sugar levels!
If you find it unpleasant at all, just remember you are helping to save a life :smile:
Reply 4
ahhhh! id love to have the nerves to give blood as its such a great thing to do but i felt so ill after a blood test once im petrified! but go you! most ppl dnt feel a thing and u wil feel proud once uve done it.

oh ive just read the above post, i cudnt do it anyway coz im anemic!
Reply 5
even if i wanted to give blood i wouldnt be allowed seen as gay people arent permitted to

hopefully that will change soon though :wink:
Reply 6
dannywales
even if i wanted to give blood i wouldnt be allowed seen as gay people arent permitted to

hopefully that will change soon though :wink:

*nods* A friend of mine wanted to give blood with me, but because he'd experimented with another lad, he hasn't been allowed to register to do so. I think its grossly unfair, although I suppose the NHS has to cover its back, with the spread of HIV etc.
My other close friends have all refused to join me, one is petrified of needles, one has had glandular fever recently, and one is half way through the course of hepatitus B jabs, so isn't allowed to. Its weird how many things can rule you out of donating really!
I'm really determined to, so thanks to everyone for the encouragement.
I think its something everyone should do if they can, because it really is saving lives, and we'd all be glad to receive blood if we were ill! :smile:
Reply 7
hrmm they do seem to be far too strict with who they allow to give blood. I can understand that they need to be safe rather than sorry but it can get ridiculous.
Reply 8
it took them a while to figure out if i could give blood because i broke me arm 2 months before i went. Out of a group of about 8 of my m8s who wanted to give blood ended up only 3 of us could, doenst make sense to me when its so important that people donate blood that they are so fussy about who's blood they get.
Reply 9
i dont think the rule should single out gay people in particular for "high risk" activites though

personally i think it should be - if you are ANYONE (gay, straight, male, female) who has had "high risk" sex in the last year, you aren't allowed to donate

i think its stupid that usually HIV shows up on a test after 3 months of being exposed to the virus, yet they say that even if you havent had gay sex in years and have a negative test result, you cant give blood

did you know... (i think this is in the UK aswell as the US) that if a woman has any sort of sexual contact (even oral) with a man who has had sexual contact with another man, she cant give blood either?

its ridiculous!
Reply 10
Its stupid, people always have discriminated against gay people. Its stuff like this why people get a false impression of gays. anyways this is going onto a completly differnt subject now.
Reply 11
dannywales

personally i think it should be - if you are ANYONE (gay, straight, male, female) who has had "high risk" sex in the last year, you aren't allowed to donate

It is, isn't it? It asks you if you've had any sex in Africa/Other HIV prevalent areas, doesn't it?

Anyway, I gave and it was cool. I asked if I could lie down instead of sitting up like you usually do (cause i have low blood pressure). If you're scared of fainting wait 15 mins instead of 10 before you get up, just to be on the safe side.

Also, taking a friend or parent with you is a good idea :smile: Having them there talking to you takes your mind right off it.
Doesn't hurt one bit! I've got phobias of both blood and needles but did it the other week and I was fine. I stayed sitting down for a little while after coz apparently I went a funny colour! You feel a slight prick as the needle goes in but after that it is fine and you get orange juice and biscuits afterwards!!
Reply 13
When I went to give blood they panicked because I was born in South America and I had been there recently. They ultimately decided to "stay on the safe side" (their phrase), though they did offer me some biscuits when they saw my watery eyes...
Everyone I spoke to said it wasn't as bad as they originally thought, so you should be fine!
shinyhappy
... and one is half way through the course of hepatitus B jabs, so isn't allowed to.


Erm, I was allowed to donate on Friday despite being half way through the course of Hep B jabs. They asked why I was having them and I explained that it was for Uni, and they said something along the lines of "Oh, that's fine, just checking it wasn't because you'd been exposed to it..", or something. I was still allowed to donate, anyway!

And yep, it doesn't hurt a lot. The inside of my elbow is quite sensitive so I have to look away when they're putting the needle in cos it makes me flinch. It's not too bad though.. plus you get a shiny card, biscuits, tea, a keyring on your second time, stickers, it's ace! :smile:
Talya
It is, isn't it? It asks you if you've had any sex in Africa/Other HIV prevalent areas, doesn't it?


yep thats right. anyone whos had the bumlove.
Reply 16
drawmeamonkey
yep thats right. anyone whos had the bumlove.

No, I was referring to heterosexual sex in high HIV risk areas.
Reply 17
what are the requirements for giving blood? last time i went they refused me for being below their weight thing. i was so annoyed as i had built myself up for doing it!
Reply 18
hello_its_me_
what are the requirements for giving blood? last time i went they refused me for being below their weight thing. i was so annoyed as i had built myself up for doing it!

I just lied! They didn't check :eek: I felt fine afterwards. Though I was only 49kgs when the limit was 50kgs. If you are way below, then I guess you can't really pull it off.
Reply 19
see i think i was about 45/46kg at the time. i am 49kg now, do you think they will let me? i've got it written on my thing that they refused me last time so "check weight the next time" is written across my form. will that play against me?