I wasn't sure what to expect so I walked in with an open mind. What I found was a relaxing and open environment that immediately made me feel at ease, the nurses were friendly and made sure that I was comfortable, especially so as it was my first time donating.
My only real memories of needles were the HPV and Tetanus, both of those were very manageable but I wasn't sure if this would be as easy to deal with. In fact it was better. I felt a slight pinch as it went into my vein, then a few minutes later it was out again and I had completed my donation. I hardly felt any kind of discomfort throughout the session and I experienced no after effects such as dizziness or pain.
Overall I came away with a great satisfaction but some of the information I had come across in the various booklets I received made me curious. They stated that Men could donate every 12 weeks however Women could only donate every 16 weeks. I thought to clarify this for myself.
A brief look at the NHS website suggests that this is because monthly periods, especially heavy ones, mean that women are more likely to become anaemic. Extremely heavy periods are also known as menorrhagia. A normal volume of blood loss would be considered between 30-40 ml and heavy bleeding between 60-80 ml, however the combined loss of blood through menstruation and a donation could increase the likelihood of a woman developing an iron deficiency. Consequences of being anaemic could be dizziness, feeling faint or having shortness of breath, it therefore makes sense that the NHS takes precautions such as this to ensure women are as safe they possibly can be when they give blood.
Image Credit: http://www.thecivicstourport.co.uk/resources/National-Blood-Service-logo.gif
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