January Is National Blood Donor Month

Did you know that 4.5 million Americans need blood transfusion each year? (credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

Someone needs blood every two seconds. (credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

Approximately one in seven people entering a hospital need blood. (credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

About 94 percent of blood donors are registered voters. (credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

One unit of blood can be separated into several components. Those components include: the red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.(credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissues and can live about 120 days in the circulatory system.
(credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

It's a fact: much of today's medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors. (credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

Did you know that the #1 reason blood donors say they give is because they "want to help others"?
(credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer as well as winter holidays.
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January Is National Blood Donor Month

There is no substitute for human blood, despite advances in medical technology.
(credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reach 79 years old, you would have donated 46.5 gallons of blood. (credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

The actual blood donation usually takes about 10 minutes. The entire process – from the time you sign in to the time you leave – takes approximately one hour.
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January Is National Blood Donor Month

You CANNOT get AIDS or any other infectious disease by donating blood.
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January Is National Blood Donor Month

Blood makes up approximately seven percent of your body's weight.
(credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

There are 43,000 pints of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada.(credit: Getty Images)

January Is National Blood Donor Month

Blood drives that are hosted by companies, schools, places of worship and organizations supply about half of all blood donations across the U.S.
(credit: Getty Images)