Donate Blood
Besides kidneys, you can donate blood or bone marrow.
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Transcript
For the past two weeks, we’ve talked about kidney donations. Now, you may be thinking, “Besides kidneys, what else can I donate?”
Hi, I’m Dr. Griffin Rodgers, director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at NIH.
Besides kidneys, you can donate blood or bone marrow. Today, let’s talk about donating blood.
Blood donations are always needed, and just one donation can help three patients. Blood can be separated into red blood cells to treat bleeding and anemia, platelets to prevent bleeding, and plasma to assist with blood clotting. You can donate blood if you’re healthy and free of infections, at least 17 years old, and weigh at least 110 pounds. If you meet these conditions, it’s safe to donate blood every 56 days. And by donating blood, you can save a life.
To learn more about donating blood, follow us @NIDDKgov. This is Dr. Griffin Rodgers.