Give Blood

Myth Busting FAQS

1. Donating blood is painful.
Giving blood is relatively painless.

2. My religion does not allow me to give blood.
All religions encourage helping others and therefore giving blood.

3. I have Sickle Cell Trait so I can’t give blood.
Sickle Cell Trait does not mean you cannot give blood.

4. Too much blood will be taken.
Only 470ml of blood is taken in one session, which is just less than a pint. Your body replaces this very quickly.

5. You don’t need my blood because plenty of other people give blood.
25% of the South Asian population are blood group B but only 9% of western Europeans share this group. Blood group U negative is only found amongst black African and Caribbean communities.

Around 200 people from black African and Caribbean and South Asian communities give blood each day in the UK. To meet the needs of hospital patients, 7000 people a day need to give blood.

We need you to be a VIP in your community and give blood. There is no health risk, most people find it relatively painless and you can donate blood every 16 weeks. New equipment is used for each donor, it only takes an hour and after a few minutes rest you can be on your way.