What happens to your blood after you donate

After your 10 minutes on the couch, the unit starts its own journey: 1. Screening tests, every single unit is tested for HIV, hepatitis B & C, syphilis, malaria (and once emergency-use-tested per current policy). Positive units are destroyed and the donor informed confidentially. 2. Blood grouping, ABO and Rh confirmed, twice. 3. Component separation, at centres with separation units (like GMCH and AMCH), your unit becomes red cells + plasma + platelets: up to three patients from one donation. 4. Cold chain, red cells at 2,6°C, plasma frozen, platelets agitated at room temperature (they last only 5 days). 5. Crossmatch, before transfusion, the patient’s sample is matched against your unit. Only then is it issued. This is why donation happens only at licensed centres, the entire chain is regulated, temperature-logged and auditable. It’s also why “direct” blood transfers between people don’t exist anymore: everything goes through testing, always.