this is the updated/cut/adjusted version of the post i made months ago- both are true, this one’s a bit more concise! nothing wrong with a bit of editing! enjoy!
i work full time. i pay my rent. i pay my sallie mae loans every month: $530. i have medical debt. i’m bad with money. i’m broke! just like everyone else!!!!! so, in an attempt to be motivated and to get that bag, i resorted to donating plasma to make extra cash last year. it sounded great! a little jab, get some money quick, no big deal. the trouble is that it’s absolutely an insane process from top to bottom.
the first time i went i expected to maybe be there three hours, tops. nope! almost four and a half hours total. this is because they have to check your id, your social security number, and then they quickly flash you the symptoms of AIDS and ask you to name three. they then sit your ass down and make you read a binder with a bunch of information (“what is plasma?”, “what are the symptoms of AIDS again?”, “did you get a tattoo recently?”). then, when you’re done with that, you get a set of earbuds and are made to watch the video version of the binder you just read. this part really presses the whole “are you a sex worker?”, “do you share needles?”, “do you live with someone who has hepatitis?” it’s tedious, cumbersome, but necessary, i suppose? they can’t use the plasma if the donor is positive with something, and while i understand that, the manner in which they explain that is overwhelming and, honestly? classist. it’s like they’re drilling it that many times to assume you’re guilty of something, assume that you partake in these kinds of things. why else would you need the money?
look, i’m in my mid-twenties and am struggling financially (in my own way). i do this so i can get lunch, pay for a drink at karaoke, and sometimes pay bills- it is not a dire need. but for some of the people who donate, who are regulars at this clinic, because they do have regulars: they do this to survive. they do this as a supplemental source of income to pay bills, to afford food, basic necessities, all year long. this is something i get to do when i’ve failed at managing my money. i also would like to specify that this clinic is in a? primarily black, brown area. a predominantly lower-income neighborhood! not a coincidence. rich people don’t typically donate plasma as a form of income. if you find any, let me know,
after finishing the binder, the video, and waiting in line, it was time to go in and get my blood tested and get a physical. pretty routine until they checked my arms and between my fingers for needle marks.
“sorry,” the overworked (and only) attendant said while he did it, “we have to”.
donating is fine, i guess. my phlebotomist was an aspiring actor. nice guy. handled the needle like an angel. the donation process itself is like, 45 minutes. when i was done they wrapped my arm tight as hell and with $60 in a prepaid card, feeling lighter, i was on my way.
keep the arm wrapped for hours, no heavy lifting, eat as soon as you can and stay hydrated. that night i drank wine and almost passed out.
the second time, however, was very different. i had to sign in, answering the same questions all over again. “have you participated in risky sex in the past three months?” “have you been paid for sex in the last three months?” “have you had sex with a male who has had sex with another male in the past three months?” i then waited about two and a half hours. finally i’m in the chair and the phlebotomist comes over. she tells me she’s struggling to find a good vein. eventually, she sticks the needle in and my skin immediately balloons around it. like, easily an inch up. it was giving alien. sigourney weaver.
“hmmm.” she says.
hmmm?
“you infiltrated.” she says. she says it the same way you’d say “your shoe is untied” or “the flashlight on your phone is on.” too fucking casual for my taste!
all that’s flashing through my mind is the warning from the binder, the video, and the overworked attendant from that one time telling me that there’s like a .0000001% chance i could get an embolism from this process.
she sees the panic in my eyes.
“you’re fine!” she insists “you’re bleeding under your skin. it’s ok! you’ll just be bruised. you can’t donate again until it clears up. but don’t worry, you’ll still get paid.” she was very nice. a may taurus. i asked.
she gives me an ice pack. another attendant walked up to me and was all “oh you infiltrated, huh?”. my phlebotomist hands me a care sheet and mr. man sticks around to keep making lil comments and jokes.
“so how long do i leave the ice pack on?” i asked.
the two then began to flirt-argue in front of me about how long i should ice my internally bleedy vein. she’s telling me he’s wrong, he’s giving her the side eye and clearing his throat. they are flirting with each other through me and through my infiltrated vein. like, i’m right here. and bleeding.
so i left! my arm was bruised for like a week, and while i got $70 this time around, i was left wondering if this is the best option for me to earn extra cash. for a moment there, i was so fucking panicked. i thought i was dying! it’s literally invasive, and it takes the rest of the day away from you. so is it actually worth it for me when in reality i should probably just get another job?
and there’s the rub! this line of thought only further clarifies that this is not a need for me, but a clear decision i’ve made!!! i’m privileged enough to think this way and have that option. at the end of the day i’m actually? fine. some of those regulars, though, do this because they are so backed into a corner financially that there’s little to no other options left for them. but what’s the alternative, right? how does someone do good by donating plasma while also being made to feel guilty for maybe living a certain way, or even just having your lifestyle choices questioned in general, but then get “rewarded” with little money compared to the time and literal blood (plasma) donated? side note: blood and plasma? not the same thing. i learned that from the video.
obviously, building a center like this in this kind of area was nothing short of intentional and… manipulative? their tactics are clear: appealing to the masses with increased payments the more you come in, texts about “holiday deals”, and additional compensation for every person you refer. this is then followed by long wait times, bombarding questions about your sex habits and possible drug use, then closed off with information about the risk and possible danger of donation. from the minute you walk in they need you to know: we need you, but we don’t trust you yet.
it’s heartbreaking to think that people have to spend hours of their lives, multiple times a week, donating something from their bodies at $60/$70 a pop. on their website they say you can make hundreds of dollars in a month. doing some quick beep beep boop boop math means this can only be possible if you’re going about 2-3 times a week: the maximum times you’re able to actually donate. they also are adamant about you not going to other centers to donate, which means people totally have. they probably need the money. one donation isn’t paying them enough! they are donating things from their bodies just to make ends meet, all the while being made to feel as if they’re doing something wrong. as if their lifestyles deserve to be questioned and criticized, poked and prodded, just for being in need of the money this service is promising them. they deserve better. better than all of this.