I dont donate anymore. Haven't for years. I became iron deficient from donating regularly. Theres a study out there that says 1 in 5 regular donors are iron deficient. I discovered the low iron from a regular blood test. Mcv, mchc, mch, and rdw were all off suggesting iron deficiency, so I tested ferritin and it was at 14.
As stewie has said, donation centers don't test iron, they test hemoglobin, they just call it iron.
Steroid users fit in a special category. Most normal people with low iron will have low hemoglobin, there is an association there but steroids force the production of red blood cells. As a steroid user, you can have low iron and high hemoglobin/hematocrit. Without proper iron levels, your body might still make rbc's but they won't be good cells and won't carry oxygen through your body like they should.
As stewie has said, donation centers don't test iron, they test hemoglobin, they just call it iron.
Steroid users fit in a special category. Most normal people with low iron will have low hemoglobin, there is an association there but steroids force the production of red blood cells. As a steroid user, you can have low iron and high hemoglobin/hematocrit. Without proper iron levels, your body might still make rbc's but they won't be good cells and won't carry oxygen through your body like they should.