Donating Plasma for Money

[Spartan_Warrior]

Just to clarify, I only started thinking about this as a way to monetize ALL assets, even less obvious or intangible ones such as a healthy body, as a means of supplementing my regular income. I see that as resourceful, not desperation or failure. This is a "making quick money" idea, not a vital part of my financial plan. Regardless, it seems like it's more hassle than it's worth, considering the seedy reputation and all. Speaking of seedy, did someone mention donating sperm as an alternative? (Sorry, had to.)

[guitarplayer]

Here's another reason to donate blood it reduces forever chemicals in your body.

That guardian article is inspired by this study of 3 x 95 Australian firefighters. Spoiler: donating plasma works better than donating blood for reducing forever chemicals (PFASs) from bloodstream, but it might just be that this is because it can be done more often.

I went to donate blood last Sunday and next time I go I will mention that I am keen to move to donating plasma.

*This thread got revived due to another thread on phthalates or plasticisers in food storage. These chemicals are not the same as PFASs and so long I can tell, it cannot be said that donating blood works for ridding of the former. This it would be down to how plasticisers are stored in the body.

** I notice the thread is in the Money and Investment Questions which is maybe not the best place for it to sit, then again all things are connected!

[mathiverse]

Here is a related thread which discusses donating blood and plasma to reduce PFAS in your body and other PFAS mitigation methods: viewtopic.php?t=12195.

This thread is in the money section because the original focus was using plasma donation at for-profit places as another income stream. In some countries, one is paid to donate plasma. In some countries like the UK, you aren't paid. The thread was started before anyone (most people?) were considering plasma donation with a 0th order goal of reducing toxins in their body.

[guitarplayer]

Perfect, thanks @mathiverse! I will amend the post in the plasticisers thread.

[plow_2]

FWIW, the red cross does charge hospitals for blood (they call it cost recovery).
Plasma is used to make factor products (kcentra plus many others), and albumin. I'm sure the drug companies are making quite a bit of money from the products they make from plasma, but those products are absolutely life saving.

[Walwen]

If you're interested in donating Plasma it's worth shopping around in your area for the center with the highest payout and for bonus codes/a buddy bonus. Once you donate with a certain center you're pretty much locked in to that center for 6 months, they don't like people switching between places.
I would never do it for like 20 bucks, because at that point I'd rather just ask someone I know if I can do yardwork or something for 20 bucks.

I got 100 for my first visit, 150 for my second, and 75 for my 3rd and 4th. After that the bonuses stopped so I stopped going until I got the text messages that I qualified for the time-lapsed donor bonuses, and I made 75 dollars the first visit, 50 the second.

Now that I'm currently "fun-employed" I'm going semi-regularly and without the bonuses it's 35 to 45 dollars per visit or at least 60 dollars per week, plus free bottle of gatorade after each visit. I lay with my feet up and watch videos on my phone and I have a sick fasination with all the "thank you for your life saving bodily fluid" messaging on the walls.

It's not a replacement for actually seeing a doctor of course, but I do like how they check my blood pressure, weigh you, basically you get a little check up. I don't feel like it's unhealthy, at least for me. I take a multivitamin and drink a gallon per day and I've never noticed any side effects besides feeling mildly less energetic for maybe 1-3 hours after donation.

[ether]

I used to do it when I was 18 and working part time hours. You got to watch out for collapsed vein syndrome. I then got into sperm donation and it was much more lucrative and enjoyable, but they are much more picky on who they let in.

[Walwen]

You got to watch out for collapsed vein syndrome.

I can't believe I forgot to tell my "horror story!" (Look away if you're squeamish!)

I was sitting in the lobby waiting when someone who had just finished donating left. Now, they tell you "keep that bandage on for two hours" for a REASON. It was clear she took it off as soon as she was outside.... and so just a minute after, she came running back in, no bandage, with blood pouring down her arm! And instead of holding it up, she was basically waving it around at hip level, afraid of her own blood. The nurses took her right back and re-bandaged her and had her sit a while, and another nurse had to come out with big gloves and a face shield to clean up the blood that the woman had gotten allllll over the lobby.

Twice I've also seen first-time donors puke and be ushered away. It's nice that they mark the first-time donors with a big orange folder, because I like to watch for entertainment LOL.

Some people just can't do it. You basically have one shot- if you puke or pass out, you're going to be ineligible for a long long time. So make sure you're otherwise in good health and eating good and drinking lots of water for a full 48 hrs prior.

They gave me two little coupons to skip to the front of the line on my next visits for my trouble, but I always pre-register and get to skip the line anyways. So, the good part of it is all the money, and there's the bad parts of it for you. I've also seen a few people get kinda rowdy when they're denied because some of the people are doing it out of desperation and it becomes a whole thing if they can't get their money.