Students selling plasma in desperate times
Chelsea Miller SPORTS REPORTER
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: News
Desperate times call for desperate measures and with the shrinking economy, students are looking for creative ways to make extra cash. A recent trend is the donation of body parts for money, popularly plasma.
Junior sociology major Adrienne Viano is a big advocate for plasma donation. Viano, who recently presented a speech for a class on the benefits of donating, said she frequents Biotest Pharmaceuticals Corporation's plasma donation site twice a week. Biotest is located on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Youngstown and seems to be a popular donation site for other students as well.
"I do actually see a lot of students there," Viano said and recommended others go if they're strapped for cash. "[Biotest] has a really nice, friendly staff … I love going."
Dustin Roberts, sophomore music education major, also donates frequently to make a little extra money.
"The Army and school pay for my housing," he said. "[The money from plasma donation] is fun money."
Roberts said that he can make up to $55 a week and that it is not a painful process.
"It's just like giving blood," he said.
Although donating plasma is very similar to donating blood, the process takes much longer, usually 45 minutes to an hour. A needle is inserted into the donor's vein that will extract the blood and pump it back in when the plasma is separated from the blood. Donors have to go through a strict screening procedure before first donating.
Dan Gamache, director of marketing and advertising for Biotest Pharmaceuticals, detailed some of the requirements needed to donate plasma. He stated that donors must be in general good health to donate and that they will go through an extensive medical screening and have to answer a medical history questionnaire. They must present proof of address and be at least 18 years of age and 110 pounds.
Talecris Plasma Resources in Akron's automated message system also says donors must bring a social security card and recommends donors eat two hours prior to donating and drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages.
Gamache stated that while a lot of donors are students, many others donate as well.
"What most people don't know is the donor bank is very diverse … we get a variety of people donating," he said.
According to www.donatingplasma.org, the plasma that is donated is used to treat patients that have chronic, often genetic diseases such as hemophilia, primary immunodeficiency, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and serious, rare neurological and autoimmune disorders. In addition, it is used in life-saving therapies in situations involving burn victims and those bitten by animals.
Although donating plasma seems to be the method of choice for students, there are a variety of other options as well, such as sperm and egg donation. These procedures pay more to the donor, but are longer, lengthier processes often involving extensive medical and genetic testing.
Junior sociology major Adrienne Viano is a big advocate for plasma donation. Viano, who recently presented a speech for a class on the benefits of donating, said she frequents Biotest Pharmaceuticals Corporation's plasma donation site twice a week. Biotest is located on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Youngstown and seems to be a popular donation site for other students as well.
"I do actually see a lot of students there," Viano said and recommended others go if they're strapped for cash. "[Biotest] has a really nice, friendly staff … I love going."
Dustin Roberts, sophomore music education major, also donates frequently to make a little extra money.
"The Army and school pay for my housing," he said. "[The money from plasma donation] is fun money."
Roberts said that he can make up to $55 a week and that it is not a painful process.
"It's just like giving blood," he said.
Although donating plasma is very similar to donating blood, the process takes much longer, usually 45 minutes to an hour. A needle is inserted into the donor's vein that will extract the blood and pump it back in when the plasma is separated from the blood. Donors have to go through a strict screening procedure before first donating.
Dan Gamache, director of marketing and advertising for Biotest Pharmaceuticals, detailed some of the requirements needed to donate plasma. He stated that donors must be in general good health to donate and that they will go through an extensive medical screening and have to answer a medical history questionnaire. They must present proof of address and be at least 18 years of age and 110 pounds.
Talecris Plasma Resources in Akron's automated message system also says donors must bring a social security card and recommends donors eat two hours prior to donating and drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages.
Gamache stated that while a lot of donors are students, many others donate as well.
"What most people don't know is the donor bank is very diverse … we get a variety of people donating," he said.
According to www.donatingplasma.org, the plasma that is donated is used to treat patients that have chronic, often genetic diseases such as hemophilia, primary immunodeficiency, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and serious, rare neurological and autoimmune disorders. In addition, it is used in life-saving therapies in situations involving burn victims and those bitten by animals.
Although donating plasma seems to be the method of choice for students, there are a variety of other options as well, such as sperm and egg donation. These procedures pay more to the donor, but are longer, lengthier processes often involving extensive medical and genetic testing.
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