Facts About Donating Blood

• All eligible donors in good health, at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days, or every two months.
• Each year, more than 4.5 million lives are saved by blood transfusions.
• About one in five people admitted to the hospital will need blood.
• Up to three patients can be treated with one pint of donated blood.
• 50 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood and only 5 percent do.
• Cancer, trauma patients and those undergoing open-heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive.
• Blood is made up of more than 200 known substances, but its four main components are: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma.
• Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body’s weight.
• A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his/her body.
• The actual donation of blood usually takes less than 15 minutes. The entire process—from the time you sign in to the time you leave—takes about an hour.
• You cannot get AIDS or other infectious diseases from donating blood—a new sterile needle is used for each donation and discarded afterwards.
• Thirteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) are performed on each unit of donated blood.