Fellow students,

As you may have noticed, January is our Blood Donor Month. I believe there are several myths about blood donation that need to be cleared up in order to encourage more of us to donate blood and help save lives.

I found this short FAQs http://www.givelife2.org/sponsor/quickfacts.asp article that will answer most of our questions about donating blood. Remember, it does not hurt more than just a mosquito bite but it sure makes a difference in the life of those who need it. Do not believe old myths such as

• Donating blood makes you gain weight, in fact you lose a little weight.
• You cannot donate if you have high blood pressure. As long as you have your condition under control, you are an eligible donor.
• You can catch a disease from donating blood. It is perfectly save as all the implements are sterile and discarded after each use.
• You already donated blood this year. You may actually donate blood every three months

There are many other myths and misleading information that keep us from donating blood and saving lives.
You may visit the following websites for additional information and donation centers:

http://miami-fl.yellowusa.com/Blood_Banks_and_Centers.html

http://www.aabb.org/Content/Donate_Blood/Donate_Blood_Public_Education_Initiatives/National_Blood_Donor_Month

https://www.givelife.org/index_flash.cfm