Donating blood is a simple and relatively painless procedure that can help save lives.

According to the American Association of Blood Banks, eight million volunteer donors donate the 14 million pints of blood used in the United States each year. The blood is used to help a variety of people. Donated blood can help restore a person's blood volume after surgery, accident, or childbirth, improve the immunity of a patient suffering from cancer or leukemia and other diseases, and improve the blood's ability to carry oxygen.

Sometimes the donated blood is used as whole blood; that is, the blood from a donor is administered in its entirety to the recipient. In other cases, the blood is separated into its components (platelets, plasma, red and white cells, and clotting factors), and administered to a patient in need of that specific component.

There is no risk of contracting disease...