Blood is something that the average South African rarely thinks about. This is clear from the fact that less than one percent of the population donates blood. And yet, eight out of 10 of us will need blood or a blood product at some point in our lives.

Blood transfusions and blood products (platelets, plasma and red blood cells) are not limited to those with cancer, leukaemia or haemophilia, but also help save the lives of those in car accidents, make surgery possible and prevent countless post-childbirth deaths.

According to the South African National Blood Services (SANBS), South Africa needs approximately one million donations every year. This year there has been a shortage of group 'O' blood. As a universal donor, group O blood can be used in an emergency or in outlying areas where there is no ready access to a blood bank for cross-matching.

Approximately 47 percent of the South African population has group O blood, however, 56 percent of the total blood issued is group O blood. This discrepancy in the figures means that it is a challenge to recruit sufficient group O donors.

According to SANBS, the group O blood stocks should cover seven days, but have been sitting at three to four days’ stock (a deficit of about 5000 units) for the past few months.

Safe blood — always a valuable commodity — has become even more precious with the prevalence of HIV. With a significant percentage of the population infected with HIV, the onus falls on those who are healthy to donate blood regularly. The need is particularly urgent during the winter months when many regular donors can’t donate because of a cold or flu and when the school clinics close due to holidays.

Instead of shrugging your shoulders and shifting the responsibility to someone else, think about how you, personally, could make a difference — giving blood could be the most constructive half an hour of your life. The life you save could be your own; it could be your child's; and, if you're lucky, it could be that of someone you've never met before.

The state of SA's blood banks

South Africa has two blood services — the SANBS and the Western Province Blood Transfusion Service (WPBTS). The two organisations are completely independent, but work together, sharing resources and knowledge.

"Both transfusion services work in line with the highest standards of blood transfusion practice and are internationally recognised as being among the best and most sophisticated in the world," says Lynn Erasmus of the WPBTS.

The WPBTS collects approximately 130 000 units of blood each year from a database of 70 000 regular healthy donors. That means that, on average, each of these donors donates twice a year. A healthy (non-pregnant) individual can comfortably donate blood between four and six times a year.

The SANBS hopes to collect 770 000 units of blood this year, which at a rate of two donations per donor, would amount to 385 000 donors.

Blood donation in South Africa is a free and voluntary process without any form of remuneration. HIV is not the only risk to healthy blood and donors/donations undergo a strict screening process. Not everyone can donate blood and the safety of both the donor and the recipient needs to be taken into account.

Before you can give blood, you need to fill in an extensive questionnaire, which covers lifestyle and sexual behaviours as well as any transmissible diseases. Being honest on this questionnaire is of utmost importance as any lie or omission could endanger the life of the recipient.

Once your blood has been collected, a sample will be subjected to a number of tests to determine if it is infected with HIV, Hepatitis B or C, and/or Syphilis. Both WPBTS and SANBS use the latest technology to test donor blood. Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) uses DNA technology which effectively narrows the detection period of HIV to between five and 11 days.

This is a significant advance on previous tests, in which the window period could last up to six months. However, there is still the danger, if donors are not completely honest on their questionnaires, that some HIV positive blood could slip through the system. Donating blood should not, under any circumstances be used as a substitute for an HIV test.

According to Ms Erasmus, South Africa is the only country in the world that tests each donor’s blood every time they donate. If the blood is found to be infected, it is incarcerated and the donor is confidentially notified of anything that will affect their health and is offered counselling. Occasionally, due to the sensitivity of the test, false positive results can occur, and so the donor may be called back for additional testing.

Who can donate?

Donors need to be at least 16 years old (17 in the Western Province) and weigh over 50 kilograms. You can only donate blood once every 56 days and need to fill out a questionnaire every time you do so.

You can’t donate blood if you have a medical condition which will put you at risk or if you are taking certain medications. Some people fall into a risk category as a result of their sexual or lifestyle habits. This high-risk group includes people who engage in casual sex, male-to-male sex, intravenous drug use, or have recent tattoos or body piercings. If you fall into this group, you will not be able to donate blood.

You can’t donate blood if you are sick in any way or have just recovered from a stomach bug, cold or flu, as these viruses will be passed on the recipient whose health is already compromised.

Donating blood

Before donating blood, you need to make sure that you have been eating regular meals and drinking a lot of fluids. Try to have a snack at least four hours before giving blood as this will prevent you from feeling faint.

Once you arrive at the clinic you will need to fill out the screening questionnaire and discuss it with one of the sisters. You will then undergo a finger prick test to check that your haemoglobin (iron) is within a safe range for donation purposes. Your heart rate and blood pressure will also be monitored. If the latter is either too high or too low, you will not be allowed to give blood.

The actual procedure, which is painless except for the initial prick of the needle, only takes between six and 10 minutes. Once you’re done, you can relax for a while with a cup of tea and a biscuit.

The average adult has between four and five litres of blood in his or her body, which means that drawing a unit of 480 millilitres usually has little effect. You may feel a little light-headed (occasionally people faint) and should refrain from any strenuous physical activity for about four hours.

Your body replaces the lost volume of blood within 24 hours and the lost red blood cells and iron are replaced over the following month.

Both SANBS and WPBTS have fixed and mobile clinics. To find a clinic near you visit the SANBS at www.sanbs.org.za or the WPBTS at www.blood.org.za.

To find out more about HIV testing call 0800 012 322 or visit www.aidsinfo.co.za