Perhaps they should consider modernizing their system. If someone wants to donate, they need to be tested a month in advance after booking the test slot. I used to be a regular blood donor in England and Poland, but in Ireland I’ve never donated, because it was such a hassle.
How much do I get per pint?
Always grim to see the HSE complain about a shortage of blood when they themselves are responsible for a lot of it. Maybe if they overhauled their outdated, often racist screening practices then people who WANT to donate, but aren’t allowed to can finally help.
It’s also still incredibly difficult for gay men/MSM to donate.
They recently changed the rules to not discount any gay or MSM people, however they added in a question in the screening process asking if you have anal sex.
Naturally this will disqualify a lot of people in those groups (but not all ofc, not everyone in those groups is into full anal sex tbf), but they still look good and can say that they’re not blocking out gay/MSM people as they ask *everyone* this new question.
So I’m a gay man in a relationship for almost 14 years but we can’t donate just because we have sex, go figure.
Selfishly I’d really like it if they did cups of tea again. The canteen area in D’olier Street never seems to be open when I go.
(Now irrational fear time:)
Been going for a while, left arm, and found the skin was more resistant to the needle this time. A bit more uncomfortable. The nurse told me it was due to scarring.
I AM NOW VERY CONCERNED about future visits, particulary if I ever need to get an injection into those veins. I was told there’s three places in the arm they can draw from, so it’s not like I can’t request they try to get the other 2, but what happens when these also scar up?
Also, the consultant treating someone I know for cancer told them that it would have been more uncomfortable for them to receive their chemo if they’d kept up donating over the years (they’d also donated previously).
Really makes me worry. But I think I can live with the worry given the literal lifeblood donations are to people – my own type being relatively rare and seemingly on their ‘shopping list’ each visit.
I wish I could donate but my weight & height means I can’t, It’s incredibly incredibly frustrating as it’s the only thing that restricts me & I’m considered a healthy weight for my height, Seems like such a waste
Tried to sign up the other week. Turns out you can’t donate if you’re a type 1 diabetic.
I shall keep my sugary blood I guess.
Also won’t accept blood from people that have had anaphylaxis
I went to give my third donation earlier this year, told them I took some neurofen a couple of times a week for muscle pain and they refused; the questionnaire also asks what sex you were “assaigned” at birth, which is nonsense as sex is observed and recorded at birth.
So they lost a donation then and in the future.
Someone’s blood saved my life. I can’t donate blood because I received blood but I ask those who can to please donate 🙂
I’d donate, but a silly rule that states if you had a blood transfusion before 1990 in the uk you can’t give blood in Ireland. I was born in 89 so it’s a nonsensical rule.
I’d love to donate but I can’t because I don’t weigh enough and because a family member has hemochromatosis.
They make it far too awkward, having to book appointments and all there should be walk in clinics
Every time I go in, they ask me the same question about the same root canal I had done in the UK. It hasn’t changed since the last time!
Every time there’s an appeal for donations, there’s a pile of comments from people complaining that donor screening is a concept. Keep on keeping on, guys!
Wish they had a donation centre in Galway city centre.. I’m not walking 30 minutes to the east or west of the city to donate and I’m for sure not walking it after donating.
I donated blood in Portugal all the time because I just had to walk up and do it. Here is so complicated
I’ve been turned away last 5 times I went. My mum has given almost 70 donations. I have iron issues. One time I was so close to their threshold I begged them to take it and they wouldn’t
Are gay people allowed to give blood?
I’v rang up trying to change my location and for some reason it’s difficult to do. I have a card, if I just walk into a centre, would ya reckon they’d take me or no? As in, they just scan me, ask me the usual Q’s etc and then I go wait, right? It’s been awhile since Iv gone (covid etc).
What infuriated me the most is that it’s always within the week instead of the weekend – why not having more events at the weekend when in fact more people are off work?!
After working 8-10h straight I won’t drive another 30 minutes and have to wait another 1,5h before leaving this place again.
I’ve given up on donating
Serious, no donations points in Offaly unless you’re in Birr for Jan and Veb. Lads I want to give blood but I’m not driving 40 mins to do it.
I’d love to, but they won’t take mine because I had cancer. Been in remission over a decade and have emailed them several times to see if I can donate again, but they never reply.
24 comments
Perhaps they should consider modernizing their system. If someone wants to donate, they need to be tested a month in advance after booking the test slot. I used to be a regular blood donor in England and Poland, but in Ireland I’ve never donated, because it was such a hassle.
How much do I get per pint?
Always grim to see the HSE complain about a shortage of blood when they themselves are responsible for a lot of it. Maybe if they overhauled their outdated, often racist screening practices then people who WANT to donate, but aren’t allowed to can finally help.
It’s also still incredibly difficult for gay men/MSM to donate.
They recently changed the rules to not discount any gay or MSM people, however they added in a question in the screening process asking if you have anal sex.
Naturally this will disqualify a lot of people in those groups (but not all ofc, not everyone in those groups is into full anal sex tbf), but they still look good and can say that they’re not blocking out gay/MSM people as they ask *everyone* this new question.
So I’m a gay man in a relationship for almost 14 years but we can’t donate just because we have sex, go figure.
Selfishly I’d really like it if they did cups of tea again. The canteen area in D’olier Street never seems to be open when I go.
(Now irrational fear time:)
Been going for a while, left arm, and found the skin was more resistant to the needle this time. A bit more uncomfortable. The nurse told me it was due to scarring.
I AM NOW VERY CONCERNED about future visits, particulary if I ever need to get an injection into those veins. I was told there’s three places in the arm they can draw from, so it’s not like I can’t request they try to get the other 2, but what happens when these also scar up?
Also, the consultant treating someone I know for cancer told them that it would have been more uncomfortable for them to receive their chemo if they’d kept up donating over the years (they’d also donated previously).
Really makes me worry. But I think I can live with the worry given the literal lifeblood donations are to people – my own type being relatively rare and seemingly on their ‘shopping list’ each visit.
I wish I could donate but my weight & height means I can’t, It’s incredibly incredibly frustrating as it’s the only thing that restricts me & I’m considered a healthy weight for my height, Seems like such a waste
Tried to sign up the other week. Turns out you can’t donate if you’re a type 1 diabetic.
I shall keep my sugary blood I guess.
Also won’t accept blood from people that have had anaphylaxis
I went to give my third donation earlier this year, told them I took some neurofen a couple of times a week for muscle pain and they refused; the questionnaire also asks what sex you were “assaigned” at birth, which is nonsense as sex is observed and recorded at birth.
So they lost a donation then and in the future.
Someone’s blood saved my life. I can’t donate blood because I received blood but I ask those who can to please donate 🙂
I’d donate, but a silly rule that states if you had a blood transfusion before 1990 in the uk you can’t give blood in Ireland. I was born in 89 so it’s a nonsensical rule.
I’d love to donate but I can’t because I don’t weigh enough and because a family member has hemochromatosis.
They make it far too awkward, having to book appointments and all there should be walk in clinics
Every time I go in, they ask me the same question about the same root canal I had done in the UK. It hasn’t changed since the last time!
Every time there’s an appeal for donations, there’s a pile of comments from people complaining that donor screening is a concept. Keep on keeping on, guys!
Wish they had a donation centre in Galway city centre.. I’m not walking 30 minutes to the east or west of the city to donate and I’m for sure not walking it after donating.
I donated blood in Portugal all the time because I just had to walk up and do it. Here is so complicated
I’ve been turned away last 5 times I went. My mum has given almost 70 donations. I have iron issues. One time I was so close to their threshold I begged them to take it and they wouldn’t
Are gay people allowed to give blood?
I’v rang up trying to change my location and for some reason it’s difficult to do. I have a card, if I just walk into a centre, would ya reckon they’d take me or no? As in, they just scan me, ask me the usual Q’s etc and then I go wait, right? It’s been awhile since Iv gone (covid etc).
What infuriated me the most is that it’s always within the week instead of the weekend – why not having more events at the weekend when in fact more people are off work?!
After working 8-10h straight I won’t drive another 30 minutes and have to wait another 1,5h before leaving this place again.
I’ve given up on donating
Serious, no donations points in Offaly unless you’re in Birr for Jan and Veb. Lads I want to give blood but I’m not driving 40 mins to do it.
I’d love to, but they won’t take mine because I had cancer. Been in remission over a decade and have emailed them several times to see if I can donate again, but they never reply.