Groups release updated statistics on U.S. blood donation, use

HHS campaign encourages blood donation. A man in a red T-shirt holds out his left arm which had two Band-Aids in the shape of a cross with a heart in the middle attached to the inside of his elbow after making a blood donation.

America’s Blood Centers and ADRP, the Association of Blood Donor Professionals, last week released a guide highlighting changes in U.S. blood donation and use between 2019 and 2021, including donor and recipient demographics. For example, donations from 16-18 year olds and adults under 25 declined 61% and 32%, respectively, due to limits on blood drives at school campuses, while donations from adults age 25-64 and 65 or older increased 14% and 41%, respectively. The percentage of first-time donors fell from 31% to 26%. Only about 3% of the eligible U.S. population donates blood each year. About 90 hospital-based blood centers and 53 community blood centers are registered with the Food and Drug Administration.

“This new edition sheds light on the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the blood supply and the need for ongoing donations from younger and diverse populations to ensure the resilience of the nation’s blood supply,” said ABC CEO Kate Fry.

Organ/Tissue/Blood Donation