Plasma is the liquid component of blood which houses the proteins key to fight off infectious diseases. In terms of industry, the U.S. is the largest blood plasma exporter in the world. According to Newsweek:
"The United States is a major exporter of blood plasma, the straw-colored liquid that makes up the majority of the blood's volume. Extracts from that fluid is used for numerous medical purposes--including immunoglobulins to fight infection, and albumin that is used to repair burns."
The main companies who receive the blood plasma are Grifols, Octapharma, and CSL, and they pay "donors" anywhere from 20-50 dollars per donation.
This system is highly problematic for 2 primary reasons:
The donations come from disproportionately poorer communities, as well as Mexican migrants who apply for temporary visas to donate plasma
There are numerous health detriments to donating as often as the U.S. allows
Addressing the first point, the various plasma centers set up their locations in the regions where the US Census data designates as regions of lower socioeconomic status. That's no coincidence - the plasma companies are aware that the people who live in these areas need the extra income. According to a documentary produced by ARD, the advertisements that these companies produce emphasize the ease of donating and the moral reasons to do so, as well as the "bonuses" that donors accrue. Long-term donors receive larger bonuses, and there are many programs and other incentives. However, according to an interview of a plasma company employee in the aforementioned documentary:
"[The companies] accept donations of plasma, and [they] compensate people based on the time that they're here, because, if [they] said that they bought plasma from an individual, that's a form of prostitution."
Apart from this gray area regarding payments to donors, the advertisements reveal something more insidious about the plasma donation industry. People only get the advertised bonuses by donating to the legal limit of around 102 donations. Additionally, donors can receive additional payments by recruiting and referring friends to, in turn, recruit and refer others, mimicking the structure of a Multilevel Marketing operation.
There is another aspect to the plasma donors issue, and that is of the Mexican migrants who travel across the border with temporary visas to earn extra (or even their primary) income. Some are accumulating money for schooling, or as a supplement to their sub-subsistence levels of income. Approximately 43 donation centers are along the U.S.'s southern border, namely near larger ports of entry such as El Paso, Texas.
Now, to address the second question of health concerns. Each donation is approximately 800 milliliters of blood plasma - approximately 1.69 pints. The immunoglobulin G present in blood plasma is critical to fight off infectious diseases such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and meningitis. A study done by Case Western Reserve University, found that approximately 70% of survey respondents reported negative side -effects to their donation during a prolonged time. Additionally, countries such as Germany mandate that a doctor be present to assess the physical well-being of a donor. However, the U.S. has no such rule, and onsite doctors visit the facility 4 hours each week as per the minimum requirement. As far as staff treatment is concerned, many donors are treated poorly and indifferently in the face of immediate side-effects, according to the study. Given the U.S. large export to primarily European countries, it holds a monopoly on most of global plasma. The implications for a fault in the U.S. supply would be disastrous for domestic and foreign patients who need the proteins in the plasma. Furthermore, most patients don't disclose any pre-existing health conditions, so that they don't get denied the opportunity to donate and be compensated.
The way to resolve this issue is multi-fold. Significant health problems to those who are essentially selling their body's defense systems for their subsistence is problematic. The U.S. must enforce check-ups on donors - their health should come before the money they earn. This will ensure that the donor can afford the antibodies that they are about to donate. Additionally, restricting the amounts of permitted donations per year and reducing, if not eliminating, compensations over an extended period of time will allow dependent donors to gain income from other, significantly more healthy sources. Educating employees and donors is incredibly important - any emergency situation is not likely to be handled efficiently or with great care for the patient in the status quo.
Thank you for reading.
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