Blood Donation: The Easy Way to Save Lives (Infographic)

You may have a friend or family member (or you know someone who has) who needs a blood donation to survive. Wouldn’t you want to help them? Well, it’s remarkably easy to do so – all you have to do is donate a unit of your blood and that small amount could be life-saving for someone important in your life.

With all the will in the world, though, you’ll also need to ensure that you are actually eligible to give blood. For a variety of medical reasons, there are some circumstances where blood donation is not advised, for example if you’ve been pregnant or given birth in the last year, or if you had major surgery in the last six months.

This infographic from Union Quay Medical Centre in Ireland identifies who can donate blood and who shouldn’t. It also guides potential first-time donors through every step of the donation process so that they know what to expect when they go to make their donation. Plus, there’s a really educational guide to all of the blood types, along with the compatibility of each type. That’s another hugely important factor; it isn’t just a matter of one person giving blood to another. If a person receives an incompatible blood transfusion, it could cause antibodies that destroy red cells and potentially cause a fatal reaction.

Take a few minutes to read through this highly informative and brilliantly designed infographic, which comprehensively covers the life-saving matter of blood donation.