by Whitney Levon

Created on: October 20, 2009   Last Updated: October 21, 2009

We are constantly encouraged to donate blood, blood banks across the nation and around the world are in constant need of donations. Donating blood is giving the gift of life, but it does raise some questions for people. Is it safe to donate blood? What, if any, are the health benefits to the person doing the donating?

Donating blood is a completely safe practice. The blood donation process begins by the donor providing a medical history. A mini-physical is then performed, where blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and iron level are checked. After this, the actual donation takes place. An area of skin is cleaned, and the small, sterilized, one-time-use needle is placed in the donor's vein. Blood is then collected, which usually takes about 10 minutes. The donor is then allowed a period of time to rest, and is given refreshments in order to allow the body to re-adjust.

What are the benefits of blood donation? Aside from the results of the mini-physical which can alert you to some health issues you may be having, such as high blood pressure, your blood will also be screened for other illnesses before it is cleared to be donated. These screenings include tests for Hepatitis B and C, HIV/AIDS, Syphilis, HTLV, and West Nile Virus. If any of these diseases is detected, the blood is not used for donation and the donor is notified.

Some medical experts, like Jerome Sullivan, M.D. of the University of Florida, believe that regular blood donation can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to an article published in www.webmd.com, blood donation for those people who have a higher iron level in their blood can benefit from donating their blood every six months or so. This is because donating blood lowers the iron level in the blood, and an increase in iron is one of the contributing factors for heart disease. An article published in the American Journal of Epidemiology by Johns Hopkins University went so far as to indicate that the donation of blood by those with higher iron levels also results in a lower risk for heart attacks.

There is definitely a mental health benefit to blood donation. For as squeamish as people are about donating, there is a sense of accomplishment when all is said and done. Donating blood means saving a life, which makes the donor a hero of sorts. Mentally, the satisfaction of saving another human being is one of the best feelings one can have.

Many people feel that donating blood is dangerous for a number of reasons. The most common

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