The message of this New York Times op-ed by Vanessa Veselka is summed up in its slug:
The world’s blood banks are filled with “donations†from America’s poor.
Is that really true? Consider this study:
Being a college graduate, being employed, being physically active, and never being a cigarette smoker were factors positively associated with blood donation.
which suggests that Ms. Veselka’s experience (high school dropout, living on the streets, selling her blood to survive) is atypical.
It is in fact true that blood and plasma are major U. S. exports but here are the major importers:
Unless Netherlands, Germany, and Italy are re-exporting the plasma the claims in the op-ed don’t seem to stand up to scrutiny.
I find the sale of human body parts which includes blood questionable. Furthermore, I find the practice of brokering human body parts even more questionable. I will, however, acknowledge that the practice has benefits, especially considering the reality that true donations may fall short of the need.
When I was in college, my buddies and I would sell our plasma to get drinking money. I do not think you can sell whole blood.
I sold my plasma until I passed the limit, 59 years old.
My daughter sells hers.
My cousins as well. Price is up.
Billboards here have promo $1,000/ month first time donors.
Does that make us look poor?
$1,000/month!!
I think you can still sell blood for research purposes but not for regular transfusions. I suspect the author is mostly referring to plasma which you can still sell. (You can treat plasma for viruses.)
Steve
Selling plasma is very common around college campuses, great way to earn beer money and the beer seems to hit harder right after a donation. Got to replace those fluids y’know.
Some centers give compensation for whole blood (used in making Rhogram) and there are clinics take compensate human egg and semen donors. Look up Grifols SA or an infertility clinic.
Since we can’t synthesize the various blood products, or human eggs, its is a needed industry.