"In 2025, giving blood is less painful and more inclusive than you might remember. More members of the LGBTQ+ community are now welcome to donate blood after the U.S. Federal Drug Administration updated blood donation guidelines in 2023. And just this year, the oft-dreaded finger stick was replaced with a sensor slipped on to a finger to measure a donor's hemoglobin, the protein in blood that carries oxygen."
"And the Red Cross now provides free A1C testing, which is used to screen for diabetes and prediabetes. One in 10 people in our country have diabetes but nearly a quarter are undiagnosed and some 80% of those living with prediabetes are also unaware of having it, Doreen Thomann-Howe, CEO for the American Red Cross in Greater New York, said in a statement. When offering A1C screening previously in March, we found that over half of donors were unaware of their own A1C levels."
"There's no substitute for blood, and research continues into the production of artificial blood. Anyone in medical need can benefit from donated blood, from a cancer patient, to an accident victim, to someone undergoing surgery. The need for blood is constant, and every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. Although about 62% of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, only about 3% donate, Thomann-Howe said."
National Blood Donor Day falls on Sept. 4 and donating blood can directly save lives. Blood donation became more inclusive after FDA guideline updates in 2023 that expanded access for many LGBTQ+ individuals. Hemoglobin screening moved from a finger stick to a noninvasive sensor slipped onto a finger, reducing donor discomfort. Donations reveal blood type and the Red Cross now offers free A1C testing to screen for diabetes and prediabetes, uncovering many undiagnosed cases. Blood demand is constant — every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood — yet only about 3% of eligible people donate.
Read at www.dailyfreeman.com
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