Be a hero. Give blood!

In honor of the World Blood Donor Day, Teleperformance Portugal held another solidarity initiative, a Blood Donation Campaign. 

The initiative was carried out within the Citizen of the World program. It took place on the 23rd of June at the City Center Learning Hub. Some TP employees had the opportunity to donate blood and, with the help of Instituto Português do Sangue, saved 54 lives!  

TP Blood Donation Campaign: Important Recommendations

To fulfill the efficiency of the donation, the donor must follow some established guidelines. Firstly, on average, each donation takes 40 minutes. Also, it is important to eat, however if it’s after lunch, you need to wait at least 3 hours to digest. Other important recommendations are: Eat your breakfast and have regular meals; Drink 1,5lt of water in the previous day and during the day maintain hydrated; Don’t exercise and drink alcohol before donating; Your weight shouldn’t be less than 50kgs; You can donate 3-4 times a year with a minimum gap of 2 months between donations; Don’t come and inform if you feel sick; If you have a new piercing, you can donate after 4 months and the same for tattoos. For other exceptions, please consult the SNS website. 

Save up to 3 lives…donate blood!

Did you know that every 2 seconds someone needs blood? It is an important resource, not only for planned situations but also for emergencies. Up to now, blood doesn’t have a substitute, that’s why what we have inside of us is precious golden life savers! Don’t forget, by donating blood you can save up to 3 lives! Do you want to be a part of this generous movement? Be a hero and join the efforts for the communities. 

MYTH or FACT? 

To commemorate World Blood Donor Day, Teleperformance Portugal developed a fun game, aiming to clarify the myths and facts surrounding blood donation.  

Here are the answers!    

• Anyone can be a blood donor.

It’s a MYTH: The person must be healthy, at least 18 years old, and weigh a minimum of 50kg. Before a blood drive happens, you will be evaluated by a doctor and each case can have its singularity.      

• I already donated blood this year, so I can’t donate again.

It’s a MYTH: A minimum interval of 2 months between donations is acceptable, with a total of 3 to 4 blood collections within a 12-month period.   

• All blood types are needed.

It’s a FACT: All blood types are needed, including the most common ones.    

• I recently changed my sexual partner, so I can’t donate blood.

It’s a FACT: Contact with a new sexual partner requires a suspension period of 3 months, regardless of your sexual orientation.     

• I occasionally use recreational drugs, so I can’t donate blood. 

It’s a MYTH: It depends. Drug use requires prior evaluation by a healthcare professional to assess frequency of use and administration method in order to conduct screening.    

• I’m trying to get pregnant, so I can’t donate blood.

It’s a MYTH: You can donate blood if you don’t have a menstrual delay and are not undergoing infertility treatment or participating in a study.  

• Being pregnant or breastfeeding prevents me from donating blood.

It’s a FACT: While you’re pregnant, you cannot donate blood, but you can donate 6 months after giving birth.    

• I can’t donate blood if I’ve had a tattoo or piercing within the past month.  

It’s a FACT: There’s a temporary suspension of six months, or four months if the nucleic acid test for hepatitis C is negative.   

• If I’m not heterosexual I cannot donate blood.  

It’s a MYTH: In Portugal your sexual orientation does not affect your ability to give blood.    

•   Taking antibiotics doesn’t prevent me from donating blood.

It’s a FACT: Medication with antibiotics disqualifies you from donation. You can apply to donate 14 days after the last dose, provided you don’t have any symptoms.    

•   A vegetarian person doesn’t have enough iron in their blood and therefore cannot be a donor.

It’s a MYTH: Any person without anemia or iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12 deficiency can be a donor regardless of their diet.  

• Blood donation is painful and time-consuming.

It’s a MYTH: The process of blood donation is not painful and takes only about 10 minutes.