Beest and I donated regularly in the UK. Our blood is not welcome here in the US because of the mad cow thing. It sucks. I had lots of transfusions after our second child was born. I owe, but am unable to repay my debt :(

My wife has tats and gives blood twice a year in the US. No problems.

I haven't given for a few years, mostly due to other health concerns. I was accustomed to giving regularly, about every six weeks I think, in a corporate sponsored blood drive. That just made it easier to give. It was one of the few things I did to actually take a break from work.

I was started on a medication for anxiety so that I would sleep better. The med had originally been used as an anti-seizure med. Blood bank people had a hissyfit over it and refused my donation. The only reason my med was on the list was because of potential hazard to someone who was liable to have a seizure. Not good for the donor, not good for the blood drive, etc. It has little effect in such tiny amounts for the person receiving the blood.

The blood drive people told me to come back in six months because they expected to be allowed to take my blood as long as I was not prone to having seizures. Six months later, and I was shunted off into a waiting area while they took fortyfive minutes to determine that they couldn't take my blood again. Do you know what it's like to have everyone in line wondering why you are segregated from the rest? Or why your blood is being rejected? I wasn't embarassed, but it sure did inconvenience me greatly. I had to make up the time and the interruption of my work was costly, too.

So a year later, I returned and was rejected because I didn't weigh enough. Then a year later still, because my blood pressure was too low...

My O neg blood is still highly sought after, and I have desirable titers of some antivirals that blood banks want for people at risk, but now the type of health care I do limits the desirablity of my blood.

I've given up for a while. I figure when I'm somewhere that is convenient for me I will give. We used to see blood drive vehicles outside of conventions and special events. Maybe...

I wonder if one can be denied if one has had sex with their bi x boyfriend?

I could bite your neck if it would help.
I was rejected for being allergic to penicillin, but when I found out they had OJ and no beer, I didn't care.

Clod - the blood does expire, I believe it is like 8 days for the red blood cells or something. That is why there seems to always be a shortage. The Frozen products expire as well, I just think it takes a little longer, but not much.

As for tattoos in the US - there is a year waiting period for fear of the diseases you can get from the needles. After that, you should be home free.

Also keep in mind that all blood banks are overseen by the FDA and it may be them enforcing the procedure of questionnaires. And they will quickly kick a blood bank's ass if they aren't following correct procedures.

My thinking on it is that if they sort out the high-risk people first, then they have more time to focus on the potentially healthy blood. At the end of the day, the number of units is important, but if a number of them are unusable, all the man hours and supplies that were used to collect and test them were wasted. I am not saying that they are right in their practices, just that I can see it from another point of view.
And yes, people can lie about the answers and the time is still wasted. There was also a number that people can call to say they lied if they wanted to tell, but not face to face.

(No, I don't nor have I ever worked for the Red Cross......just another blood bank. And I am also not saying that I agree with everything either)

another point I just thought of...

I don't know just how accurate this course of action is, but I do know of several people who actually try to give blood solely to determine HIV status, cholesterol level, etc.

I'm sure it gets terribly expensive for blood banks to waster resources taking/testing/disposing of diseased blood.

YES!! I know someone that mentioned doing that and i think it happens a lot. Thats horribly ignorant and stupid. Go to the free clinic. You are endangering people. Thats why i think those questions are pointless. Compare that to them eliminating someone for answering truthfully to traveling to england or for ever having had gay sex even if you are practicing safe sex or monogamous. Thats got to eliminate a lot of people for no good reason. Thats why i say just make it a year waiting period for any risky behavior and be done with it.

Depends on the type of blood. Frozen packed cells can be kept for up to ten years, most is not, but it can be. FFP (plasma) for a year. Whole blood can be kept a long time as well but many important factors degrade over a short time, which is why whole blood is spun down and various components are removed for specific use.

Everything you always wanted to know about blood product administration but were afraid to ask:
http://www.aabb.org/Documents/About_...on/coi0702.pdf