The implementation of pilot projects to increase blood donation by women in 6 provinces has begun. This action is aimed at increasing blood reserves and meeting the need for blood and blood products during the cold seasons and also during outbreaks of diseases such as influenza and colds.
Reduction in Visits to Blood Donation Centers
With the reopening of schools and universities and an increase in traffic accidents, the number of people visiting blood donation centers decreases compared to other seasons. In this situation, the social deputy of the National Blood Transfusion Organization, Babak Yektaprist, points to the importance of various groups of people, especially youth and women, paying attention to blood donation. He emphasizes that the need for blood in the last 6 months of the year is greater than in spring and summer, making the necessity of increasing blood reserves even more critical.
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Specific Conditions of Provinces and Need for Blood
Yektaprist, referring to the specific conditions of Sistan and Baluchestan and other southern provinces bordering the Persian Gulf, states that these areas require special attention due to the presence of thalassemia patients and the need for blood for difficult childbirths. For example, in Sistan and Baluchestan, about 15,000 to 20,000 blood units are provided monthly just for thalassemia patients. He also recalls a case of severe bleeding during childbirth where a pregnant mother needed 20 units of blood, and fortunately, with the provision of blood, both she and her newborn were saved.
Increasing Women's Participation in Blood Donation
The social deputy of the Blood Transfusion Organization refers to past experiences and states that during the war, the number of women visiting to donate blood significantly increased. Currently, only 5% of blood donations in the country are made by women, while women make up about half of the country's population. Misconceptions about women's inability to donate blood have no scientific basis, and in past years, women have had a larger share in blood donation.
Accordingly, pilot projects to increase blood donation by women have been implemented in Semnan, Shahroud, Qazvin, Gorgan, Bojnurd, Bandar Abbas, and Arak. Yektaprist says: "By revising the design of centers, lighting, color, reception, examination, and the process of accepting women, we are trying to create better conditions for their presence." He also adds: "In Shahroud, just shortly after the implementation of the project, the rate of blood donation by women increased by 3%."
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