22 Mar 2019

To be a blood donor is not scary

Every day more than 500 people in Bulgaria need blood. 1/3 of them are children. Still many people in our country are not familiar with the process of blood donation and are afraid to become donors for various reasons.

We will share with you several facts that can help you make informed decisions - on the one side is the opinion of the scientists based on the beneficial effects on the body and on the other are the main fears for taking this personal decision.

An increasing number of studies have shown that blood donation is healthy:

• Blood donation can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke

• People who donate blood twice a year are less likely to get a cancer

• Regular blood donation clears the vessels, builds up a mechanism in the body to quickly restore the volume of circulating blood and develop new blood cells

• Blood donors are quicker and easier to recover from any possible conditions of high blood loss than people who have never donated blood.

The six most common reasons people do not want to donate blood:

1. I do not like needles and I am afraid of pricking.

Donating blood does not hurt! Most blood donors will tell you they only feel the initial prick.

2. I'm too busy.

The whole process takes about 40 minutes, and the blood donation itself - 7-10 minutes.

3. I have already donated blood this year.

 Blood can be donated every 60 days. Men can be blood donors up to 5 times a year, and women - up to 4 times.

4. I am afraid of getting sick of AIDS and other diseases.

All supplies used during the blood donation are sterile and disposable. There is no risk of blood contamination.

5. I do not want to feel weak afterwards

After blood donation, most people continue to do their daily tasks without any problem.

6. I have a rare blood group, so I will wait when there is a special need for it.

The shortage of rare blood products is huge and constant, so do not hesitate! Donate blood. Someone will be saved.

If you want to become a blood donor, you can join “Bleed for the Throne” initiative, organized by HBO Bulgaria in partnership with the Bulgarian Red Cross, the National Center for Transfusion Hematology (NCPH) and Park Center Sofia.

The Blood Donation activity is on the occasion of the final season of the series "Game of Thrones" and will be held on March 28th and 29th between 10:00 and 14:00.

Learn more about the action at hbogo.bg/lp/bleedforthethrone

See how to prepare for blood donation at redcross.bg or ncth.bg.