Is donating blood safe?
    Yes, donating blood is safe and simple. There is no chance of getting AIDS or any other infectious disease from donating blood. All materials are sterile, and a new needle is used exclusively for each blood donor, and then it is discarded. You can feel secure in knowing that due to the many safeguards now in place, central and eastern Kentucky's blood supply is the safest it has ever been.

Who can donate blood?
    Anyone age 17 or older, weighing at least 110 pounds, and in general good health can be a blood donor. All potential donors must pass physical and medical history screening examinations given prior to each donation.

I have "low iron". Why can't I give?
    The most common reason donors are temporarily deferred from giving blood is because they have a low hemoglobin. The hemoglobin test is done to determine the amount of iron-containing pigment of your red blood cells. Go here for answers to How's Your Hemoglobin?

Why is there always a need for Type O blood?
    While all blood types are always needed to be on hand for patients transfusions, Type O blood has several characteristics that create a greater daily need for it. Go here to find out about Type O blood.

What if I'm taking medication?
    Most medications will not exclude you from donating. Please call us if you have a question about your eligibility.

How often can I donate blood?
    Blood can be donated as often as every 56 days. utomated Blood Collection (or apheresis), which is a donation process that only removes a portion of your blood and returns the rest to you immediately, has a variety of waiting periods:

• Double Red Cell Donation: Every 112 days
• Plateletpheresis: Every 2 weeks or up to 24x a year
• Plasmapheresis: Every 4 weeks or 28 days

How long does it take?
    The entire donation process takes less than an hour. The donation itself takes about 10 minutes. Automated blood collection takes about an hour and a half for plateletpheresis and plasmapheresis, and about 30 minutes for a double red cell donation.

Does donating blood hurt?
    Most people say it feels like a strong pinch on the inner bend of your arm, and it only lasts a few minutes. Some people say it doesn't hurt at all.

Why should I donate blood?
    Donating blood is safe, simple, and can provide the gift of life to those who need it! A single donation can be used to help as many as three different people.

56 Blood Facts

1. Anyone in good health, at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days, or every two months. There is no upper age limit. We have donors in their 80's!

2. 4.5 million: the number of American lives saved each year by blood transfusions.

3. 38,000 pints: amount of donated blood used each day in the United States.

4. Someone needs blood every two seconds.

5. About 1 in 5 people entering a hospital needs blood.

6. Three: the number of lives saved by one pint of donated blood.

7. Ten pints: amount of blood in the body of an average adult.

8. One unit of blood is roughly the equivalent of one pint.

9. Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight.

10. A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his body.

11. 3.4 pints: the average red blood cell transfusion.

12. Blood fights infection and helps heal wounds.

13. Four main blood types: A, B, AB and O. AB is the universal recipient, O negative is the universal donor.

14. Blood centers often run short of types O and B blood.

15. Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer and winter holidays.

16. If all blood donors gave 2 to 4 times a year, it would help prevent blood shortages.

17. 48 gallons: amount of blood you could donate if you begin at age 17 and donate every 56 days until you reach 76 years old.

18. Three gallons of blood is used every minute in the United States.

19. Four steps to donate blood: medical history, quick physical, donation and snacks.

20. The actual blood donation usually takes less than 10 minutes. The entire process -- from registration to refreshments -- takes about an hour.

21. Giving blood will not decrease your strength.

22. You cannot get AIDS or any other infectious disease by donating blood. A new, sterile needle is used for each donor.

23. Thirteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood.

24. Any company, community organization, place of worship or individual may contact their local community blood center to host a blood drive.

25. People donate blood out of a sense of duty and community spirit, not to make money. They are not paid for their donation.

26. Much of today's medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors.

27. One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.

28. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissue.

29. One billion: the number of red blood cells in two to three drops of blood.

30. Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system.

31. Platelets support blood clotting and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.

32. Apheresis (a-fer-EE-sis) is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets.

33. 42 days: the shelf life of donated red blood cells.

34. Five days: the shelf life of donated platelets.

35. One year: the shelf life of frozen plasma.

36. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts.

37. Plasma, which is 90 percent water, constitutes 55 percent of blood volume.

38. Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.

39. Car accident and blood loss victims can need transfusions of 50 pints or more of red blood cells.

40. Bone marrow transplant patients may need platelet donations from about 120 people and red blood cells from about 20 people. Can you be one of them?

41. Severe burn victims can need 20 units of platelets during their treatment.

42. Children being treated for cancer, premature infants and children having heart surgery need blood and platelets from donors of all types.

43. Anemic patients need blood transfusions to increase their iron levels.

44. Cancer, transplant and trauma patients, and patients undergoing open-heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive.

45. Sickle cell disease is an inherited disease that affects more than 80,000 people in the United States, 98 percent of whom are of African descent. Some patients with complications from severe sickle cell disease receive blood transfusions every month -- up to 4 pints at a time.

46. 500,000: the number of Americans who donated blood in the days following the September 11 attacks.

47. Females receive 53 percent of blood transfusions; males receive 47 percent.

48. 94 percent of blood donors are also registered voters.

49. 60 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood -- only 5 percent do.

50. 17 percent of non-donors cite "never thought about it" as the main reason for not giving, while 15 percent say they're too busy. The #1 reason donors say they give is because they "want to help others."

51. After donating blood, you replace these red blood cells within four weeks.

52. It takes approximately eight weeks to restore the iron lost after donating.

53. Granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, roll along blood vessel walls in search of bacteria to eat.

54. White cells are the body's primary defense against infection.

55. There is no substitute for human blood. It cannot be duplicated in a laboratory.

56. Since a pint is a pound, you lose a pound every time you donate blood. Start your diet with us today.