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This holiday season, do you want to give a gift to your neighbor? The French Blood Establishment invites the general public to donate blood, as the period is generally less conducive to donations. If you have the opportunity, now is the time to get started!
Donations of blood, platelets, plasma… The French Blood Establishment (EFS) relies on the generosity of donors to fill their stocks of blood products throughout the year. In this more critical holiday season, more than ever, she invites everyone to do something for their neighbor by making a donation.
Why do blood donations slow down at the end of the year?
Every year there is a drop in attendance at blood drives in December. Several factors explain this: preparation for the holidays of course, but also travel for family gatherings or even simply the greater spread of viruses during this period, which prevents you from making a donation.
“The level of sales of blood products to health establishments is maintained at the end of the year. The situation with our blood reserves is not alarming, but we are experiencing localized tensions linked to too low attendance at our blood drives, often impacted by winter pathologies. From now on, we need everyone to mobilize to prepare for the end-of-year holiday season and meet the challenge of 10,000 donations per day!” specifies Hervé Meinrad, director of collection and production at the EFS.
All donations are welcome
To avoid experiencing a critical period due to a lack of donations, all donations are therefore welcome. Moreover, recalls the EFS, “all blood types are required“Whether you have blood groups A,B,AB or O with positive or negative rhesus, every donation of blood, plasma or platelets counts.”All blood groups are indeed useful in helping patients awaiting a blood transfusion. Donation centers and mobile collections welcome you throughout France throughout the month of December, even during the holidays. Blood donation is a generous and simple gesture that saves the lives of thousands of patients” reminds the EFS. To find out where to donate, alone, with friends or family, go to dondesang.efs.sante.fr or on the Blood Donation app.
Who can donate blood?
“Anyone aged 18 to 70 weighing more than 50 kg can donate blood. On condition of being recognized as suitable following the interview prior to donation. After 60 years, the first donation is subject to the assessment of an EFS doctor. It is possible to donate blood several times a year while respecting a minimum period of 8 weeks between 2 donations. And because men and women are not equal in everything, men can give up to 6 times a year and women up to 4 times” details the EFS website.
Since 2022, homosexual people can also do so, without conditions. However, there are certain contraindications, which may cause a donation to be postponed, in connection with a stay abroad, a sexual or personal practice (such as having a tattoo or a piercing, for example).