Why You Should Never Donate Plasma
You may have seen the advertisements: “Donate plasma and earn money fast!” or “Help others while helping yourself!” They make it sound so simple and altruistic.
What does donating plasma entail?
When you donate plasma, you’re essentially giving away your blood’s liquid part, or plasma. Plasma is the straw-colored fluid portion of your blood that holds your red and white blood cells in suspension. It makes up about 55% of your blood volume.
Plasma is then used to help people with bleeding disorders and to make life-saving medications. It’s a valuable resource, and donating it can be a rewarding experience.
But there’s a dark side to plasma donation that the ads don’t tell you about. Below we’ll explore some of the reasons why you might want to hold off on giving away your plasma.
6 reasons why you shouldn’t donate plasma
1. It’s a time-consuming process
The process of donating plasma can take over two hours if you’re a first-timer, and that’s not including the time it takes to get to and from the donation center.
And once you’re there, you’ll have to fill out paperwork, have a physical examination, and undergo a screening process to make sure you’re eligible to donate.
2. It can be painful
In order to extract plasma from your blood, a needle will be inserted into your arm and hooked up to a machine that will remove the plasma and return your blood back to your body.
Though the process itself isn’t painful, the needle insertion might be, and you may experience some bruising and soreness afterward.
3. There are risks involved
There are always risks involved whenever you allow someone to stick a needle into your body. In addition to the risk of contracting an infection, there is also the risk of developing complications such as bruising, swelling, or pain at the injection site.
Dehydration is also a common side effect of plasma donation, and if you’re not careful, it can lead to fainting or dizziness.
4. You won’t get rich
If you do decide to go through with donating plasma, don’t expect to get rich quickly. Most donation centers in the US will only pay around $30-$50 for a single donation, which isn’t even minimum wage when you consider how much time it takes to donate.
And if you’re thinking that you can donate more often to increase your earnings, think again; most centers place strict limits on how often you can donate (usually no more than twice per week).
If you live outside of the US, you might find that you’re paid nothing at all! In the UK, for example, blood donation is completely voluntary, and you will not receive any compensation for your time or plasma.
5. You won’t be able to eat certain foods on the day of your donation
In order to ensure that your plasma is free of any contaminants, you’ll be asked to avoid eating certain foods and drinking certain beverages on the day of your donation.
For example, you might be told to avoid eating fatty foods, as they can increase the level of lipids in your plasma. You’ll also need to drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
6. You might not be eligible
Even if you’re interested in donating plasma, there’s a chance you might not be eligible. In order to donate, you must be in good general health, have no history of certain diseases or conditions, and meet other eligibility requirements.
So if you don’t meet all the criteria, you’ll only be wasting your time by going to the donation center.
Conclusion
All in all, donating plasma is a time-consuming and potentially risky proposition that doesn’t pay very well for what it entails.
So unless you enjoy being poked with needles or don’t mind sitting in a chair for two hours with nothing to do but watch TV, it might be best to steer clear of plasma donation centers.