Blood donation is a noble  and a selfless act. And yet, many people are hesitant when it comes to donating it. The reasons for these apprehensions could be manifold. In a study published in Global Journal of Transfusion Medicine, it was found that among the people who were afraid of Blood Donation, thirteen percent said they were scared of needles, whereas 4% of the people were afraid that they may get some disease by donating. Other uncommon reasons given were objections from the family members (9%) and religious barriers (1%). 

According to the World Health Organization, “the overall rate of blood donation is 31.5 donations in high-income countries, 16.4 donations in upper-middle-income countries, 6.6 donations in lower-middle-income countries, and 5.0 donations in low-income countries. Although, in developed countries, blood management initiatives have successfully managed to decrease the demand for blood products, recent global environmental and biological changes have increased demand for blood and blood products. This was especially the case during the COVID-19 pandemic and Dengue fever outbreaks in India. The demand for blood components like fresh frozen plasma and platelets has increased markedly; thus, encouraging recruitment and retention of donors remains a high priority.”

Given this rising demand for blood donation, it is imperative to address the misplaced fears about the process of donation. These fears mainly arise due to the lack of awareness on the subject. Let’s try to understand some of these common fears associated with blood donation and with the help of an expert try and debunk them.

, , says, “being scared of the needle is one of the most common fears we experience on a daily basis. It is not confined to just donating blood, we see it during blood tests, injections and surgeries. Meenakshi suggests, one should remember that the pain is very short lived and disappears after a few seconds, but the donation is an act that lasts for a lifetime. 

Will Donating Blood Make Me Weak?

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that donating blood makes a person  weak or dizzy. In some rare cases, it might, but it is not harmful at all. Meenakshi argues that there is so much blood in the body that giving a unit of it makes very little difference to your body and metabolism. One should still take precautions like drinking water, having a proper breakfast and post donation, resting for half an hour - and that should be enough, says Meenakshi. 

What If I need it back?

It is only natural for a human to expect a quid pro quo and to wonder if the act would be reciprocated but Meenakshi believes that to not donate blood with the notion that someone might not donate it for is an extremely problematic attitude to have. Donations cannot be transactional, that defeats the whole purpose.

Also Read: World Blood Donor Day: How Often Can You Donate Blood?

Will I Be Infected?

Meenakshi argues that in today’s day and age, these apprehensions are baseless. She assures that the process of blood donation is completely safe these days. Each time, a new sterilized needle is used. There is a trained staff present at all times. This kind of fear arises from lack of information from the donor’s side. 

The Fear of the ‘First’

It is like everything else you do in life. First day at school, first day at work, or your first time traveling alone. It is completely normal to feel a bit anxious if you are donating blood for the first time, but it always gets easier with time. Once you familiarize yourself with the process once, all the miss apprehensions are gone and then you want to donate again.