Community Corner
Blood Drive This Friday at the NYPD's 71st Precinct
The entire donation process takes about an hour and fifteen minutes, but the donation itself lasts 10 minutes or less, the Red Cross says.
CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — The American Red Cross will be running a blood drive this Friday, July 22 at the NYPD's 71st Precinct in Crown Heights.
Those wishing to donate blood can do at the station, located at 421 Empire Blvd., from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
According to the American Red Cross, the entire donation process typically takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes, though the donation itself takes only 8 to 10 minutes.
Find out what's happening in Prospect Heights-Crown Heightsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
To be eligible, donors must be in good health, be at least 17 years old (or have a parental waiver if they're 16), and weigh at least 110 pounds.
Sexually active gay men (defined as men who have slept with another man within the last 12 months) are currently prohibited from donating blood under Food and Drug Administration guidelines.
Find out what's happening in Prospect Heights-Crown Heightsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Earlier this year, the New York-based activist group Blood Equality held a rally outside City Hall calling for that rule to be changed, arguing that it no longer reflects modern science's understanding of the risks of HIV transmission.
Top image courtesy of Noricum/Flickr
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