Donating Blood Products v Selling Blood Products?

Question

In the US..

It is my understanding that blood products that are paid (such as selling plasma for cash) for cannot be used in human transfusions, just for research. Is that correct or no? I hear some people saying that is true, while others say it is not.

Answer 1

Blood banks that provide blood products to hospitals use volunteer donors only. This is to reduce the chances of transmitting infectious diseases. People who are "donating" in order to get money are likely to need the money to the extent that they are more likely to lie on the questionaire about risky behaviors (such as illegal IV drug use, since sharing needles puts you at risk for getting HIV, among other things). And although all blood is extensively tested for infectious diseases, there is a window period between the time of infection and when a positive test result will show up. So people who engage in risky behaviours are asked not to donate.

When people go and donate plasma for money, that plasma is used for several purposes - research, and in the development of products such as vaccines and certain drugs. They can also be used in the production of controls for the tests used to verify the safety of blood that IS transfused. But in the US, blood and plasma for which the donor has been paid will NEVER be transfused to another person. This is a federal law enforced by the FDA.

Note: this has not always been the case. In the past, people could "donate" blood for money, and that blood would be transfused. But since the prevalence of HIV and other nasty diseases has become so high, and we know more about them, laws governing blood and blood products have become much more strict to protect the nation's safe blood supply.

Answer 2

No that is not true.  It can be used in humans.

Answer 3

Whole blood is not sold, it is donated.

Plasma is sold, and yes, it can and is used for treatment in humans.