Women Poor Blood Donors

Women have a small 4.38% share of the total blood donation in Iran while 20 million are eligible for donation.  According to Bashir Hajibeigi, spokesperson of Iran’s Blood Transfusion Organization, last year, out of 2.1 million units of blood, only 91,000 units were donated by women.

“Women’s participation is less that 10% across the provinces,” he said, IRNA reported.  Fear of needles, physical weakness, anemia, infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis as well as husbands’ opposition are among the main reasons for women’s refusal to donate blood.

Thanks to women’s aversion to risky behaviors and greater care for a healthy lifestyle, their donations are thought to be among the safest and healthiest sources of blood.  Hajibeigi called on Iranian women to increase their participation in the humanitarian act.

Men are capable of donating blood four times a year while women can donate three times due to their physiological conditions.