Blood Donation Exclusion List

[Dado5]

Last Saturday I went to donate blood for the first time and was surprised by the list of countries that are excluded from donation.
Since I am born in Croatia I can’t donate blood in the US. Which I think is crazy.
I was reading about it and red Cross lost millions of donations due to this law. Even if you traveled to some of these countries you can be excluded.
Apparently it is due to Jacobs Disease (human form of mad cow) ..
I didn’t say I was from Croatia and was able to donate.

 

[dsteelo455]

the exclusions are to protect (maybe overly but still) the recipients of the blood, instead of donating you can have a doc prescribe taking blood and they'll just throw it away instead of donate.

 

[Ashop]

I guess I didn't realize there was a huge concern with Jacobs disease still.

 

[nothuman]

It's very important that people here know you HAVE TO LIE when trying to donate blood. Don't even think about saying you are on TRT or that you even used to be. When they ask whether you have left the country in the last few years, ALWAYS SAY NO. This thread provides further evidence of such. Dado did exactly what he had to do for the sake of his health.

 

[Dado5]

It's very important that people here know you HAVE TO LIE when trying to donate blood. Don't even think about saying you are on TRT or that you even used to be. When they ask whether you have left the country in the last few years, ALWAYS SAY NO. This thread provides further evidence of such. Dado did exactly what he had to do for the sake of his health.

Yes.
I have been in the US since 1995. I know I am not sick and don’t have any disease. I checked many times.
I had to lie for my health but also I am glad to help someone in need of my blood.

Now if I know I am sick or have a disease, I would never donate.

 

[nothuman]

Yes.
I have been in the US since 1995. I know I am not sick and don’t have any disease. I checked many times.
I had to lie for my health but also I am glad to help someone in need of my blood.

Now if I know I am sick or have a disease, I would never donate.

Even if you were sick and donated, they'd dump the blood after testing it. They wouldn't just blindly give it to someone else.