Men’s blood can also be more easily used for platelets, which are used to treat people in emergencies when they are bleeding a lot. They are more likely to have lots of iron, so can donate more regularly than women. Men are particularly important donors, as they make up most long-term blood donors. It is important that young men continuously register as blood donors because as people get older they’re less likely to be able to donate (3). In the last year, 172,600 blood donors were young women (17-34-year olds), compared with 105,900 men the same age and amongst this age group two thirds of new registrations were women (2), highlighting the important need for more young men to register to donate blood and save lives.
The latest blood donation figures show young people have the biggest gender gap in blood donation.