When I arrived at my whole blood donation appointment today with the Canadian Blood Services, the receptionist asked me if I might be interested in donating plasma instead. I asked, “Why, is there a shortage?” and she (and later the other wonderful collection specialists) explained to me that essentially, yes—there is a shortage.
I had no idea until today, but it seems our plasma supply for now largely depends on purchasing from the global market. Worse, we’ve apparently had to contract private entities that operate paid plasma collection clinics, which is unethical and also increases the safety risks that threaten our supply (i.e. desperate individuals can feel compelled to sell their plasma to help meet their financial needs).
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Be sure to talk to the medical team at CBS though, if you have a rare® blood type, they might prefer your whole blood.
One of the neat things about plasma donation is that you can do it way more frequently. If your arms can handle it, you can donate as often as once a week.
Personally, I have a recurring appointment for every two weeks during my lunch break. I spend an hour hooked up to the machine, drinking a coffee and reading a book - it’s pretty chill. There’s emerging research indicating that there may be health benefits to donating as well - you are basically doing an oil change for your body.
To be slightly more specific, we accumulate PFAS, carcinogenic “forever” chemicals, in our blood, and our bodies have no way to process or rid ourselves of it. Emerging research suggests that blood donations reduce the amount of PFAS in our blood because, well, we’re basically bloodletting it out.
PFAS is in both everyday things from Teflon cookware to fire storeroom foam and its worked is way everywhere in the environment due to human activity, of course. Everyone has PFAS in their blood, even newborn infants.
Search “PFAS blood” or “PFAS newborn” to be disappointed in life 🙁
So, bloodletting, with two upsides.
I’ll have to wait a bit.
Just donated blood on tue, will donate plasma next timeThis is good to know. I used to regularly donate blood up until a few years ago. I should start doing it again. It’s the 1 donation that you know doesn’t go to waste (well I hope at least)
With plasma donation is there an age limit on it? I know with stem cells I was too old to donate. I believe it was stem cells.
I don’t believe there is a limit (the gentleman next to me donating plasma today seemed to be in his 70s?), but there is an age minimum. Best check with CBS though, since the eligibility for plasma donation was interestingly quite different from that of whole blood. My plasma collection specialist today was explaining to me that for example, certain illnesses that bind to red blood cells may make someone ineligible to donate whole blood (e.g. malaria), but it might not necessarily disqualify them from being able to donate plasma.
The recovery time for plasma is also drastically shorter than for whole blood, which was very cool for me.