CHELSEA POWRIE

Students at the University of Saskatchewan should care about donating blood and educate themselves about the process. Too often, misinformation about donating ends up outweighing the desire to participate.

To start, a lot of people don’t have a clear idea of what goes on when you donate blood. This combined with certain persistent and scary rumors can be offputting.

The fact is, the process is very simple. You can expect to fill out a few forms regarding general health, current medications and travel history. You’ll also have your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and iron levels checked — which at the very least is good information to have for free. If nothing exempts you from donating, a trained nurse will insert a needle into the crook of your arm and take 450 milliliters of blood from you out of your total five litres, followed by a free snack while you briefly rest. Donating blood is not such a bad time after all.

While the process is simple, many people worry about contracting a virus from the process, such as HIV. According to Health Services BC, Canadian Blood Services uses a brand new, pre-sealed package containing a sterile needle and bag for every donor, at all locations including campus. That should surely put that worry to rest.

Now you know the not-so-gory details and you’re ready to try to donate. Check out the Canadian Blood Services website and find their list of eligibility requirements. Some restrictions include weight — if you’re under 110 pounds you may not donate — travel history, recent tattoos, surgeries, piercings, courses of antibiotics and pregnancy. The list is extensive, but most restrictions are time-sensitive, so make note of when you’ll be eligible to donate again.

Young adult life is often a time when health is at its peak, therefore it’s a great time to donate. Because of this, it’s also likely that you will have minimal side effects, as some people do worry the process will make them feel sick or ruin their ability to study and work for the rest of the day or week.

Common side effects do include a little dizziness, nausea or fatigue for just a few hours, but most people feel nothing at all. If you eat a solid, non-fatty breakfast, stay well hydrated and go in with plenty of sleep the night before, your odds of side effects diminish even more. It is recommended to avoid strenuous physical activity for the few hours after your donation. Your fluids will be replaced within 24 hours.

Now it’s done and you’re off the hook for 56 days of ineligibility! In that time, you can think about the the fact that, according to the most recent Saskatchewan General Insurance Traffic Accident Facts report, over the course of one year, 896 people between the ages of 20 – 24 were injured in car accidents — the likely age group of many of your U of S classmates. Car accident victims are just one of many groups of people who need blood transfusions every day. Leukemia, transplant and heart surgery patients, among countless others need transfusions to live.

Yes, it’s a bit icky and uncomfortable. But on-campus blood drives with convenient registration options make this important cause an easy choice for students and should be something that we take the time to do.

You can donate blood at the U of S on March 27 and 31 in the Education Building between 9:30 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. The Innovation Place Atrium has a drive coming up on April 28. For more information visit Canadian Blood Services at blood.ca