The Northern California Community Blood Bank believes that everyone in our community should have the opportunity to be part of meeting the needs of the patients we serve.

The only thing we can offer to volunteer blood donors is a “good feeling” of pride and satisfaction knowing that they have helped some, but it is important to us to recognize that for many people who are unable to donate the feeling can be very different.  When unable to donate many individuals feel excluded or rejected, and while this is never our intention we must recognize and attempt to minimize that feeling.

We recognize that in the United States only 37% of the population is eligible to donate whole blood, platelets or plasma and that every month in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties as many as 150 people are not able to donate due to eligibility criteria. NCCBB encourages our staff to recognize and value the feelings of community members who are not able to donate, whatever the reason. 

There are a number of ways for individuals to help the Blood Bank serve our mission. They include:

• Volunteering in our canteen or at blood drive locations
  
• One-on-one and group recruitment of new donors
  
• Sponsoring and organizing business and community blood drives
  
• Financial contributions
  
• Help us educate the community about the need for blood donation
  
• Work with us to address deferral issues that should be changed
  

Male Donors since 1977 have you: had sex with another male, even once?

What Can We Do?

In September 2000, March 2006, June 2008 and again in June 2010 two groups representing community blood banks, America’s Blood Centers and the American Association of Blood Banks, along with the American Red Cross, recommended to the Blood Products Advisory Committee that the lifetime deferral for males who have had sex with males (MSM) be modified to a time limited deferral.  ABC, AABB and the ARC agued that as better testing has become available, the screening of MSM Donors has become redundant.  These organizations, on our behalf, will continue to lobby the F.D.A. and the Blood  Products Advisory Committee to revise this outdated policy.

What Can You Do?

Make your opinion known to the people who make these decisions!  If you are deferred from donating, if you know someone who is, or you’re just bothered that this rule exists, write to the Commissioner of the F.D.A., the Directors of the offices involved and the Blood Products Advisory Board.