Women Donate Less Blood than Men
(IsraelNN.com) Only about 28% of the blood donations received by Magen David Adom are from women, according to statistics released by MDA for international Women's Day. Less than 70,000 out of the 245,000 blood donors in 2007 were women. In 2006, women were only 27% of the donor population.
According to Prof. Ayelet Shenar, who manages MDA's Blood Services, called the statistic "disappointing" and suggested it had something to do with ingrained social stereotypes. "We need to stop thinking that blood donation is a macho thing," she explained. "We are at least as strong as men and must take the matter of blood donations upon ourselves."
Shenar also speculated that the fact that women's hemoglobin levels drop after menstruation and during pregnancy could be a reason for their lack of enthusiasm to donate blood.
I don't know Ayelet Shenar is, but pregnant and recently post partum women are forbidden from donating blood. And many more women have low iron count, which is tested before being allowed to donate blood. Also they won't even test anyone under a certain weight, and more women than men are under that weight.
Many Israeli blood donors are IDF soldiers, during their required service. Most soldiers are male. From the reports I've gotten from soldiers, some units encourage donating blood more frequently than the guidelines allow.
So it's not too complicated to calculate that in terms of opportunity and medical reasons, women are not shirking when it comes to donating blood.
7 comments:
The one and only time I tried to give blood, the nurse told me my blood pressure was too low to give safely.
Do you by any chance remember the story about the Jewish woman in NYC who fell on the tracks and was rescued by a mystery man? It turns out she was faint because she had just given blood.
Macho, indeed. "Know thyself."
Amen! I have tried donating blood many times. For a long time I was rejected for being underweight (if only I had that problem now ;-)
leora, When my mother was young she once passed out after giving blood, but then in middle-age she gave regularly, without problems.
ellie, one of my daughters has that problem, but she was accepted as a possible bone marrow donor. No size requirement.
I changed my pic in blogger. For today. I got tired of the little girl at the desk from 1966. I believe I am middle-aged...does 45 qualify as middle-age?
I really have to be careful about giving blood, due to medical history, sensitivities. But my husband is a regular donor... we have a house full of tschokes (we got a sandwich maker once, for example) to prove it.
leora, I like the little girl better. This face looks like Condi Rice just yelled at her. How about a flower?
The first time I donated blood I passed out on the B11 bus heading home from Maimonides Hospital. Thankfully there were a number of nurses and doctors also on the bus so I was well taken care of.
After that, I went with friends and we went every 2 months.
Then I got married, pregnancy, got sick... yadda yadda.
Oh btw, it seems I will be among the Maale Levona group participating in tomorrow's Rosh Chodesh davening in the Tel :) I plan on bringing my siddur and a bottle of water (it was HOT today!). Would it be totally weird to bring my camera too?
Wonderful, we have a lot to pray for. And yes, please bring your camera.
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