The under-representation of women in blood donation can lead to blood shortages. We aimed to determine the factors, which encourage or impede blood donations in women. The findings can help us in designing effective recruitment strategies that could encourage women to donate blood to cover the patients’ needs. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shiraz, Iran, from the 1st of January 2017 to the 1st of August 2017 on women aged 18–60 years old. The demographic characteristics of the participants, the reasons that motivate blood donors and the factors that discourage non-donors were surveyed. Reasons for lapses in donors were also mentioned. The most frequent reasons for blood donation were altruistic causes (94.4%), moral and personal obligations (89.1%), the feeling of responsibility (82.7%), and awareness of the positive effects on their health (77.4%). The most common deterrents in non-donors were fear of developing anemia (68.4%) or weakness and dizziness (66%), unsuitability due to certain medical conditions (62.4%), and lack of a situation in which they were asked to donate blood (61.8%). Although altruistic reasons are the chief motivating factors for women to donate blood, the overall female contribution in blood donation remains low. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures aiming at informing women about the importance of blood donation and to reduce fears based on misinformation. Confidence in the blood donation organization must be a major consideration in future recruitment strategies to reassure women about the safety of blood donation.

ABSTRACT Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of human polyomavirus (BK and JC viruses) infection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy blood donors. Methods: The study included 250 healthy blood donors. Five-milliliter blood was drawn into sterile EDTA tubes and PBMCs were isolated from whole blood. The isolated PBMCs were counted and stored at −70 °C for future investigation. DNA was extracted and subjected to simple, sensitive and specific semi-nested PCR as well as QPCR using both general and specific primers for different assays. Results: Of 250 blood samples, 66 (26.4%) were positive for BKV DNA (146-34,514 copies/106 cells). JC DNA was found in 45 (18%) blood samples (65-21,250 copies/106 cells). Co-infection with these viruses were found in 11 (4.4%) out of 250 blood samples. Discussion: Our study provides important data on polyomavirus infection in peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes in immunocompetent individuals. These data indicate significant differences between the prevalence of BKV and JCV infection in healthy blood donors. The prevalence of BK and JC virus infection is higher in the age range 30-39 years compared to other age ranges.

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: Conhecimentos sobre os motivos do adiamento da doação de sangue podem ajudar a planejar estratégias mais eficientes de recrutamento e avaliar critérios de seleção de doadores. O objetivo foi investigar as taxas e os motivos para o adiamento da doação. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo retrospectivo no centro de transfusão de sangue de Shiraz, Irã. MÉTODOS: 141.820 voluntários foram entrevistados confidencialmente por médicos antes da doação de sangue. A taxa e as razões para o adiamento da doação foram pesquisadas de acordo com características demográficas. Os dados foram analisados com o teste de comparação de proporções do software estatístico MedCalc. RESULTADOS: 43.839 pessoas (30.9%) encaminhadas para doação tiveram sua doação diferida, sendo 1.973 permanentemente. A taxa de adiamento foi significativamente maior entre as mulheres, solteiras e doadoras de primeira vez, em comparação com os homens, casados e os com história de doação anterior (P < 0,0001). A taxa de adiamento foi significativamente maior no grupo de 17-30 anos de idade (P < 0,05). As razões para o adiamento foram divididas em cinco categorias: fatores de risco que podem estar relacionados com HIV ou hepatite (43,6%), doenças subjacentes (31,9%), condições não elegíveis (13,5%), medicamentos que interferem na doação (7,8%) e fatores de risco que podem estar relacionados com infecções bacterianas ou virais, exceto infecções de HIV e hepatite (3,2%). CONCLUSÃO: São necessárias medidas eficazes para documentar o impacto do diferimento na disponibilidade de sangue, monitorar eficácia e necessidade de adiamento e determinar as razões e as taxas de diferimento.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Knowledge of the reasons for donor deferral can help in planning more efficient recruitment strategies and evaluating donor selection criteria. This study aimed to investigate the rates and reasons for donor deferral. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study at Shiraz Blood Transfusion Center, Shiraz, Iran. METHODS: 141,820 volunteers were interviewed confidentially by physicians before blood donation. The rate of and reasons for donor deferral were investigated according to demographic characteristics. The data were analyzed using the comparison-of-proportions test of the MedCalc statistical software. RESULTS: 43,839 people (30.9%) who had come for blood donation were deferred, 1,973 (4.5%) of them permanently. The deferral rate was significantly higher among women, single individuals and first-time donors, compared with men, married individuals and those with a history of previous donation (P < 0.0001). The deferral rate was significantly higher in the 17 to 30-year-old group (P < 0.05). The reasons for deferral were divided into five categories: risk factors possibly related to HIV or hepatitis (43.6%), underlying diseases (31.9%), non-eligible conditions (13.5%), medications that interfere with blood donation (7.8%) and risk factors that may relate to bacterial or viral infections except HIV and hepatitis infections (3.2%). CONCLUSION: Effective measures are required for documenting the impact of deferral on blood availability, monitoring the effectiveness of and need for deferral, and determining the reasons and rates of deferral.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Selection of healthy blood donors is essential to ensure blood safety. A confidential self-exclusion (CSE) system was designed so that high-risk donors could confidentially exclude their blood from use in transfusions. This study aimed to compare the demographic characteristics and the results from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B surface (HBS) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening tests on donors who opted to get into and out of CSE. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analytical cross-sectional study on all volunteer donors at Shiraz Blood Transfusion Organization from March 21, 2006, to March 21, 2008. METHODS: The results from the abovementioned tests were compared between donors who opted into and out of CSE. RESULTS: 100,148 donors in 2006 and 104,271 in 2007 gave blood. Among these donors, respectively, 829 (0.82%) and 592 (0.57%) opted for the CSE. The prevalence of HIV antibodies, HBS antigens and HCV antibodies in CSE donors was significantly higher than in donors who did not choose CSE (p < 0.05). The prevalence of at least one of these three infections among CSE donors was 3.12% in 2006 and 3.04% in 2007, and was significantly higher than the prevalence among non-CSE donors (0.58% and 0.57%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Because of the higher prevalence of HBS, HCV and HIV positivity in blood donors who chose the CSE option, offering CSE to blood donors could be a potentially useful method for improving blood safety, since it could increase the detection of infected blood during the window period.

CONTEXTO Y OBJETIVO: La identificación y selección de donantes de sangre sanos es el primer paso para asegurar la seguridad de la sangre. Este estudio tiene como objetivo comparar las características demográficas y los resultados de los virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH), la superficie de la hepatitis B (HBS) y viru de la hepatitis C (VHC) las pruebas de cribado en los donantes que optaron por entrar y salir de la libre y confidencial de exclusión. DISEÑO Y EMPLAZAMIENTO: Estudio transversal de todos los donantes voluntarios que acudieron a la Shiraz Blood Transfusion Organization entre el 21 de Marzo del 2006 y el 21 de Marzo del 2008. MÉTODOS: Los resultados de las pruebas antes mencionadas fueron comparados entre los donantes que optaron por entrar y salir de CSE. RESULTADOS: 100.148 donantes en 2006 y 104.271 en 2007 donaron sangre. Entre estos donantes, respectivamente, 829 (0,82%) y 592 (0,57%) optaron por el CSE. La prevalencia de anticuerpos contra el VIH, los antígenos HBS y anticuerpos contra el VHC en donantes de CSE fue significativamente mayor que en los donantes que no eligió CSE (P < 0,05). La prevalencia de al menos una de estas tres infecciones entre los donantes CSE fue 3,12% en 2006 y 3,04% en 2007, y fue significativamente mayor que la prevalencia entre los donantes no CSE (0,58% y 0,57%, respectivamente). CONCLUSIONES: Debido a la mayor prevalencia de BA, el VHC y la infección con VIH en donantes de sangre que eligieron la opción del CSE, ofreciendo CSE para los donantes de sangre podría ser un método potencialmente útil para mejorar la seguridad de la sangre, ya que podría aumentar la detección de sangre infectada durante el período de ventana.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The adequacy of blood depends on blood donation rates and numbers of blood donors. To prepare adequate blood supplies, it is essential to investigate the barriers and factors that stop individuals from donating. This study aimed to identify the causes of lapsed donation at our center. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study of volunteer blood donors in Shiraz, Iran. METHODS: We selected 850 donors who had donated between January 1, 2005 and June 1, 2005, but had not donated again by June 2008. The participants were recruited by letter and telephone, and were interviewed using a specially designed questionnaire that contained items on demographic characteristics, donor motivations and reasons for not returning to donate. We used the chi-square test to identify associations between lapsed donor characteristics and reasons for declining to donate. RESULTS: The greatest motivation for donation was altruism. The most frequent reasons for lapsed donation were lack of time because of work and self-exclusion for medical reasons. Among first-time donors, the most frequent reasons were unsuitability for donation and lack of time. CONCLUSIONS: The reasons for not returning to donate are varied and may correlate with demographic characteristics. In this study, the main reason for not returning was lack of time. Changing donation hours so that donors can donate after work, providing mobile teams at workplaces, and shortening the duration of the donation process may help increase repeat donation rates.

CONTEXTO Y OBJETIVO: La idoneidad de la sangre y los productos sanguíneos depende de las tasas de donación y el número de donantes. Para preparar un suministro suficiente es esencial conocer las barreras y los factores que llevan a los individuos a dejar de donar. Hemos diseñado un estudio tipo encuesta para identificar las causes de la dejación de donar en nuestro centro. DISEÑO Y EMPLAZAMIENTO: Estudio transversal de los donantes de sangre voluntarios en Shiraz (Irán). MÉTODOS: Hemos seleccionado 850 donantes históricos que donaron entre el 1 de enero del 2005 y el 1 de junio del 2005, pero que no habían vuelto a donar para junio del 2008. Los participantes fueron reclutados por escrito (carta) y por teléfono, y fueron entrevistados con un cuestionario diseñado específicamente para este estudio y que contenía ítems sobre las características demográficas, las motivaciones del donante y las razones por las que no había vuelto a donar. Usamos la prueba de la ji-cuadrado para identificar las asociaciones entre la dejación de donar y las razones por dejar de donar. RESULTADOS: La motivación más frecuente para donar fue el altruismo. Las razónes más frecuentes para dejar de donar fue la falta de tiempo por motivos laborales, y la auto-exclusión por razones médicas. En los donantes primerizos, las razones más frecuentes fueron la no-idoneidad para donar y la falta de tiempo por motivos laborales. CONCLUSIONS: Las razones que llevan a la dejación de donar son diversas y pueden estar relacionadas con las características demográficas. In este estudio la razón principal fue la falta de tiempo por motivos laborales. Un cambio del horario de donación para permitir que los donantes puedan acudir después de la jornada laboral, los equipos móviles en los lugares de trabajo, y la reducción de la duración del proceso de donación pueden ayudar a aumentar la tasa de donación repetida.