Blood Donation >

• Overview
• Types of Blood Donation
• Am I Eligible
• Donating Blood Step-By-Step
• Donation Locations
• FAQs
• African-American Blood Donor Program
• High School Heroes
• Promotions
• About Blood
• Useful Links
• Patient Stories

Donor Hero
History Account

• Schedule A Donation Appointment >
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Area Locations

• Remembering John “Larry” Valley
• Blood History, Our History Blood Drive
• Everyday Heroes - BCP’s Diversity Enewsletter
• Santa Rosa Center
• Promotions
• African-American Blood Donor Program
• Oakland Community Drive
• Assistant Director
• Vallejo Donor Site
• Paul Yang
• Lauren Larsen
• Meghan Daily
• Rito Delgado
• Stuart
• Isabella
• Useful Links
• Donating Blood Step-By-Step
• Variety of Medical Treatments
• Hereditary Hemochromatosis Donation Program
• Laurice Levine
• Patient Stories
• Got Questions About Blood? / Facts About Blood And Blood Banking
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Blood Safety
• Blood History
• Needing Blood
• Blood Cells
• 56 Facts About Blood and Blood Donation
• Types of Blood Donation
• Whole Blood
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Everybody Has It.  Everybody Needs It.
• Am I Eligible?
• BCP’s High School Program
• Shasta Blood Center
• Diablo Valley Center
• North Bay Center
• Napa Center
• Irwin Center
• Downtown Center
• Fremont Donor Site
• Marin Center
• Mill Valley Donor Site
• BCP Locations
• Donating Plasma
• Donating Platelets
• Donating Double Red Cells
• Donating Blood
• Novato Donor Site
• Cupertino Center
• Peninsula Center
• San Jose Donor Site
• All Blood Types Are Needed

Whole Blood

Donating “whole blood” is the traditional way of donating blood.  After ensuring the donor is eligible and that it’s safe for her or him to give, a unit (about a pint) of blood is drawn into a specialized sealed and sterile bag.  Samples of that donor’s blood are then sent for typing and testing.  Using state-of-the-art technology, 11 different tests are conducted on the blood, including hepatitis, West Nile virus and HIV.  When the unit of blood is cleared, it is separated in to three different blood components – red blood cells, platelets and plasma.  And within just a few days, the donor’s blood is sent to local hospitals for transfusion.  This means that one donation can save three lives!