Talecris Plasma Resources in West Eugene is one of many locations that specialize in plasma collection, or plasmapheresis, and pays people for their donations. A blood bank such as the Lane Blood Center does not pay for plasma, so places like Talecris create a source of indefinite and relatively painless source of secondary income for University students who participate.
“It does feel like (more people are coming in) … I’d say between 150 and 200 (per week) between the ages of 18 to 24, but I don’t know if they’re necessarily in college,” Talecris manager Justin Yamada said when asked whether he’d seen an uptick in inquiring donors, including college students during the current economic downturn. However, Talecris corporate representative Chris Healey disagreed with Yamada’s statements.
“The economy doesn’t impact our business,” Healey said. “Justin may have some ideas about what those numbers are, but they aren’t solid.”
The plasma found in one’s blood is used for many things. It’s the body’s main protein reserve, plays a key role in the immune system, and is used to both treat diseases and develop medicines. Because plasma cannot be artificially made and the demand is so high, there is a large market for plasma donation across the country.
“I would think that for a lot of college students, the money has to be a factor in there,” University Health Center Laboratory Manager Jim Mough said. “The blood bank is all altruistic — you get a cup of orange juice. Selling your plasma is a little different issue.”
Mough felt that people don’t always give plasma for the money.
“I think for a lot of people there are mixed motivations,” Mough said. “They’re getting paid to feel good about themselves.”
Students turn to plasma donation because of convenience and high pay rates.
“I think people do it because it’s pretty easy to do,” University senior Kirstin Riutta explained. “They don’t feel like there’s a lot of health risk because it’s in a sterile environment, and can get 200 dollars or more a month.”
At Talecris, patrons can donate plasma up to twice a week for a total of $60, or $240 a month. The process of becoming a new plasma donor can be an exhausting one. Yamada and Riutta estimated that the initial process can take three to four hours between the multiple blood tests, paperwork and physical exam they give you. Returning donors don’t have to go through the same rigorous process every time, but it will still take a couple hours of your time, according to Healey.
Donating plasma can be a quick and easy way to earn some extra money, especially for University students tight on cash. However, there are always inherent risks with any medical procedure.
“Because you’re removing the blood, removing the plasma and replacing the blood, there’s a very small impact on platelet function,” Mough said. “In removing the plasma, they take a lot of the immune factors with them. It’s about a 10 percent reduction in your circulating immune factors, which isn’t going to make a great deal of difference.”