Blood and other blood-related donations are always in demand. As the population in Canada grows, engaging with previous and new donors continues to be a priority for the Canadian Blood Services (CBS). Over November alone, Winnipeg will require 1,500 appointments to fill, and of those, the hope is to attract 174 new donors.

According to data from the government of Canada, 52 per cent of people say they have, or a family member has needed blood or blood products at some point in their lives. The demand for blood and blood products includes platelets, blood plasma and red blood cells, and it takes a significant number of donors to save a patient’s life. Five donors are needed for someone who needs heart surgery, 50 donors to save a person seriously hurt in a car crash, and eight donors a week to help someone going through leukemia treatment.

With CBS requiring 100,000 new donors each year, community engagement and available information are paramount, letting people know how they can help save lives.

“A lot of people self-select out, assuming they aren’t eligible, but in fact, 50 per cent of the population is eligible,” says Rayna Porter, community development coordinator at the Winnipeg Donation Centre, “but only two per cent actually donate.”

Porter attributes some of this discrepancy to people being busy and unavailable, but a significant component is people don’t know they’re eligible. Canadian Blood Services has taken a close look at eligibility, reducing barriers and past discriminatory policies to ensure those who are in good health and want to donate can.

In April 2022, CBS obtained approval from Health Canada to eliminate eligibility criteria targeting men who have sex with men. In May of this year, CBS apologized to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community for the former eligibility policy, which was implemented in the 1980s.

Porter believes these are positive and important steps. “In that time frame, we also changed the eligibility for anyone who is trans and has gone through surgery. It’s no longer a question. Likewise, there are no questions on the questionnaire about what someone’s sexual orientation is. The only questions we ask now are if you’ve had a new sexual partner in the past three months or multiple sexual partners.”

Questions on sexual orientation or preference are no longer relevant. As explained by Porter, CBS aims for blood donations based on the safest practices.

For someone interested in donating, general eligibility includes:

• In good general health
• Able to perform your normal day-to-day activities
• At least 17 years old, and meet the height and weight requirements if you are between 17 and 23 years old.

If you’re a frequent donor, the number of donation appointments you can schedule depends on the type of donation.

• Whole blood every 56 days for males and every 84 days for females.
• Plasma every 6–14 days, depending on the donor program.
• Platelets every 14 days.

Temporary ineligibility includes:

• Someone pregnant or breastfeeding.
• No tattoo or piercing within three months.
• If you’ve had a cleaning or filling at the dentist, you must wait 24 hours, and for dental surgery, you must wait 72 hours.

Looking at newcomer communities or those who have travelled outside of Canada or the US in the past 12 months, there are maps available on the Canadian Blood Servies website which show criteria for areas marked as Malaria zones. A quiz to assess your eligibility can be found here.

Once you have figured out your eligibility, the next step will be to book your appointment. Porter says your appointment is quick and easy, and the entire process takes 45 minutes or less, with the donation itself only taking about 10 minutes.

“That’s all our staff do; they are incredibly expert at being the phlebotomists that they are. They are in, and they are out, and you don’t even see the process because they are experts at it. They’ll hold your hand too if you need it,” says Porter.

After the donation is complete, you’re given several treats and drinks to bring your blood sugar back up, and then several blood samples are collected to test for infectious diseases, blood type, and compatibility. The blood units and samples are then sent to CBS laboratories for processing. This process can give considerable insight into a person’s health, says Porter; people can learn about their blood type, cholesterol levels and other aspects of their health much quicker than a typical doctor’s appointment.

Porter encourages everyone to check their eligibility, and restrictions and requirements are always changing and updating. For those who are deferred for one reason or another, they’re always welcome to come with friends and family donating to cheer them on, and you’ll still get a snack out of it. She also encourages those who might be hesitant to book group appointments to come together to support a life-saving cause. “We’ll definitely throw some extra snacks in for it.”

You can book an appointment or ask any questions by visiting https://myaccount.blood.ca/en.

– Ryan Funk, U Multicultural