Donor Responsibilities
PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION BEFORE YOU DONATE!
If you have any questions now or at any time during the screening process, please contact a LifeSouth team member.
Click on these materials for more in-depth information on donating.
>Donor Education Materials in English
>Donor Education Materials in Spanish
>Donor Interview Flip Book in English
>Donor Interview Flip Book in Spanish
>Post Donation Recommendation in English
>Post Donation Recommendations in Spanish
If, after evaluation, you are told that you are not eligible to donate, we share your disappointment. Your deferral from donation may be temporary or it may be permanent. Our Donor Services staff will advise you about your future eligibility to donate. Refer to these educational materials or ask our Donor Services staff if you have questions about the reasons for your deferral. Thank you for your generous spirit. Your desire to save lives by donating blood makes all the difference for patients in need, and we are grateful to you.
Protect Yourself and the Patient
Blood donors can save lives, but only if they help make sure the blood they give is safe. In order to protect you and the patients who may receive your blood, LifeSouth asks questions about your health and lifestyle. You have a responsibility as a blood donor to truthfully answer all of these questions.
Please note the following:
>Federal regulations require us to ask every donor these questions before every donation.
>Even if you have answered the same questions for a prior donation, you must still provide complete, accurate responses for this
donation.
>Your truthfulness in answering the questions is extremely important.
>If at any time you do not understand a question or term, please ask us to explain.
>Some questions will be about sexual activity, illegal drug use, your travel history, and infectious diseases.
>If you feel uncomfortable about disclosing this information, you should not donate.
>All information you provide is strictly confidential.
>If you do not want to answer a question, you can simply walk away without discussion.
>If you are donating at work or with friends, we can provide you with an excuse for not donating if necessary.
>If you do not speak English well and need an interpreter, please let us know. We can provide Spanish language interpreters to assist you if necessary.
HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Blood Donations
HIV and other infectious diseases can be transmitted through donated blood. LifeSouth tests all donations for HIV . However, HIV is not detectable in the blood for a period of time after exposure. A recently infected person may test negative, and if that person’s blood is transfused, HIV can be transmitted to a patient.If you want to find out your HIV status, do not donate blood. Instead, contact your local Health Department, where you can get a quick and anonymous HIV test.
>For more information on infectious diseases, such as HIV or hepatitis, please ask us for an educational pamphlet.
>For information on the risk behaviors and symptoms associated with HIV, please refer to the rest of our Educational Materials.
Testing and Notification of Test Results
We will test your blood for various infectious diseases. You can choose not to be tested; however, if you so choose, we cannot accept your blood donation. Blood that tests positive for any infectious agent will not be used for transfusion.
If any of your tests are positive, we will notify you by letter and provide you information about any recommended follow-up course of action. A positive test may prevent you from being able to donate blood in the future. Please note that sometimes tests can result in a false positive, which means that although your blood tests positive, you do not have the disease. We will notify you of a false positive result if it affects your donation status.
After Your Donation
If your health status changes, if you remember something that may affect the safety of the blood you donated, or if you feel your blood should not be given to patients, please contact LifeSouth at 1-866-592-8678.
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Donor Kiosk
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Click here to enter the Donor Kiosk and review your cholesterol results and donation history. |
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