Programs offer incentives for people to donate blood
By Jacob Geiger
American blood centers have dealt with summer or holiday
shortages for years, but a new article in Transfusion magazine offers
new reasons for declining levels of blood donations.
The magazine says the pool of potential donors may be far smaller than
previously thought. The main reason for the shrinking donor pool is
restrictions on where people have traveled. People who have traveled in
Europe, especially in the 1980s and early 1990s, often face tight
restrictions on donation.
To fight the growing shortage problems, the American Red Cross is
working hard to recruit younger donors. Some states have dropped the
donation age threshold to 16, and the Red Cross is raffling iPods and
$1,000 scholarships to teenagers who donate.
Some states are also letting people who have been recently tattooed to
donate blood, provided the tattoo was applied in a state-licensed tattoo
parlor. In the past, people with fresh tattoos would not have been
allowed to donate blood.
The Red Cross
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Brian Richardson
Reporting supervisors:
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd