I’ll keep spamming every article about donating blood I see and push my agenda that you guys need to go donate blood if you can.
70% of Belgians will need a blood transfusion at some point in their life. Only 3% of Belgians donate once in their life.
I tell myself I should once a month, then I check the practicality of it and nope the fuck out :/ To my understanding the hours that can be taken off are finicky, 2 hours travel + duration of donation. OK, but so, can I take half a day, start going to donation place, do donation for an hour let’s say, now I have one hour left, how’s that work? Unclear.
Besides that there’s the backwards stuff regarding “no men who have sex with men” as well as being illegible if you have hemochromathose, even tho my doctor just said “eh, don’t tell them and it’s fine, as they’ll check your values anyway”.
In reality : completely eligible, on paper/by their rules: not at all. Maaybe they should get rid of some of the backwards rules? And, just be clear, I did check about the validity of the “men who have sex with men” thing, plenty of places where they’ve stopped using that logic because it’s spotty logic at best. It comes down to chance for HIV and such, and the numbers support “discriminating” because yes, men who are sexually active with other men are statistically more likely to have hiv/aids”.
Now, in reality I might be in a straight relationship and have a fuckdate with a guy once every half a year, using protection, and bam, suddenly too likely to have HIV to donate blood. Sure, whatever.
So yeah, I ‘understand’, but it sure doesn’t encourage going.
Donated plasma for the past six months on a biweekly basis but can’t anymore for the coming few months due to just having gotten a tattoo.
I highly recommend anyone who’s eligible to go, you get a soda and a biscuit afterwards!
Ah dat zal wss de reden geweest zijn dat het Rode Kruis mij vorige vrijdag random midden in de les opbelde?
Light iron deficit so they don’t want me …
Also tried multiple times the be a marrow bone donor but they never call me back …
supply – demand, pay donors (more)
I stopped donating blood the moment they turned me away because I needed an appointment.
Unfortunately I can’t anymore for 2,5 years for medical reason. Will definitely start again when I can. My 20 plasma/platelet donation goal of last year also got cut short at 14 or so because of it. But I got enough tickets for a day Planckendael with the daughter. And there’s the free Walibi event for all donors coming Saturday too! See you all there!
Well, maybe they should start making their booking portal less shit
Does anyone know where it is possible to donate blood in Antwerp? I remember looking before and the only location seemed to be in Edegem.
I stopped donating because it takes so long. The actual blood donation takes like 10 minutes, but lining up to register, then to go see the doctor, then wait for an available bed, then wait for someone with the needle… I’m not kidding that between stepping out the door and getting back home it takes about an hour and a half.
Have an appointment for next week. Having O- kind of makes me feel obligated to donate blood, universal donor and all that.
Red Cross: “need more regular donors”
Looks at locations: meh, some hospital far away.
I go every month (sometimes every two months) but I have to say: my arms/veins get absolutely mangled 75% of the time. I don’t mind donating blood/plasma, but I’d like not to get assaulted during the process.
Unfortunately, having an interesting sex life excludes you.
I want to donate but it’s annoying that you need to make an appointment for that. Can’t try just place their stuff and be like “come donate blood if you want, no need for an appointment”…
I go occasionally, but I can go more. I’ll make work of it!
Hell, last time I got to pick out 2 suske & wiske comics. (My gf came with, who also donated)
I’m new to Belgium but regularly gave blood in the US. I don’t yet have my Belgian ID number or mutuelle – do I need those to donate? Could you tell me what I would need to have in place prior to donation? Thank you!
Donated blood two months ago and will do again soon! I’m waiting until after a sports competition I have this month.
For the people saying it’s too far away: I live in a rural town and they set up every 3/4 months in the local school at walking distance from my home. Isn’t this common everywhere in Flanders?
19 comments
I’ll keep spamming every article about donating blood I see and push my agenda that you guys need to go donate blood if you can.
70% of Belgians will need a blood transfusion at some point in their life. Only 3% of Belgians donate once in their life.
I tell myself I should once a month, then I check the practicality of it and nope the fuck out :/ To my understanding the hours that can be taken off are finicky, 2 hours travel + duration of donation. OK, but so, can I take half a day, start going to donation place, do donation for an hour let’s say, now I have one hour left, how’s that work? Unclear.
Besides that there’s the backwards stuff regarding “no men who have sex with men” as well as being illegible if you have hemochromathose, even tho my doctor just said “eh, don’t tell them and it’s fine, as they’ll check your values anyway”.
In reality : completely eligible, on paper/by their rules: not at all. Maaybe they should get rid of some of the backwards rules? And, just be clear, I did check about the validity of the “men who have sex with men” thing, plenty of places where they’ve stopped using that logic because it’s spotty logic at best. It comes down to chance for HIV and such, and the numbers support “discriminating” because yes, men who are sexually active with other men are statistically more likely to have hiv/aids”.
Now, in reality I might be in a straight relationship and have a fuckdate with a guy once every half a year, using protection, and bam, suddenly too likely to have HIV to donate blood. Sure, whatever.
So yeah, I ‘understand’, but it sure doesn’t encourage going.
Donated plasma for the past six months on a biweekly basis but can’t anymore for the coming few months due to just having gotten a tattoo.
I highly recommend anyone who’s eligible to go, you get a soda and a biscuit afterwards!
Ah dat zal wss de reden geweest zijn dat het Rode Kruis mij vorige vrijdag random midden in de les opbelde?
Light iron deficit so they don’t want me …
Also tried multiple times the be a marrow bone donor but they never call me back …
supply – demand, pay donors (more)
I stopped donating blood the moment they turned me away because I needed an appointment.
Unfortunately I can’t anymore for 2,5 years for medical reason. Will definitely start again when I can. My 20 plasma/platelet donation goal of last year also got cut short at 14 or so because of it. But I got enough tickets for a day Planckendael with the daughter. And there’s the free Walibi event for all donors coming Saturday too! See you all there!
Well, maybe they should start making their booking portal less shit
Does anyone know where it is possible to donate blood in Antwerp? I remember looking before and the only location seemed to be in Edegem.
I stopped donating because it takes so long. The actual blood donation takes like 10 minutes, but lining up to register, then to go see the doctor, then wait for an available bed, then wait for someone with the needle… I’m not kidding that between stepping out the door and getting back home it takes about an hour and a half.
Have an appointment for next week. Having O- kind of makes me feel obligated to donate blood, universal donor and all that.
Red Cross: “need more regular donors”
Looks at locations: meh, some hospital far away.
I go every month (sometimes every two months) but I have to say: my arms/veins get absolutely mangled 75% of the time. I don’t mind donating blood/plasma, but I’d like not to get assaulted during the process.
Unfortunately, having an interesting sex life excludes you.
I want to donate but it’s annoying that you need to make an appointment for that. Can’t try just place their stuff and be like “come donate blood if you want, no need for an appointment”…
I go occasionally, but I can go more. I’ll make work of it!
Hell, last time I got to pick out 2 suske & wiske comics. (My gf came with, who also donated)
I’m new to Belgium but regularly gave blood in the US. I don’t yet have my Belgian ID number or mutuelle – do I need those to donate? Could you tell me what I would need to have in place prior to donation? Thank you!
Donated blood two months ago and will do again soon! I’m waiting until after a sports competition I have this month.
For the people saying it’s too far away: I live in a rural town and they set up every 3/4 months in the local school at walking distance from my home. Isn’t this common everywhere in Flanders?