Topic > Forced Blood Donation in the United States: Necessity or Bad Idea

In the United States, we have the right to make our own choices about what happens to our bodies. It is entirely up to the individual to make decisions, give consent or refuse it. As US citizens we have this power and the right to do so under any circumstances. Even in the case of medical treatments we have the right to refuse any treatment or cure. There are many reasons why someone does not want to receive treatments or procedures, whether invasive or not. “Consent to treatment means that a person must give permission before receiving any type of medical treatment, test or examination.” Consent is required before starting any treatment or medical procedure because the patient must be informed of the procedure or treatment, its benefits, risks and possible outcomes. The procedure for donating blood is no different. Forcing a person to donate blood is not a good idea because it goes against some people's religious beliefs, contradicts the law that forcing someone to even draw their own blood is considered assault, and poses some health risks with any blood draw of blood. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Many people refuse to have their blood drawn because of their religious beliefs. There are several religions that do not allow blood sampling. Some examples of religions that prohibit medical treatment include Christian Scientists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientologists, and the Amish. These religious people believe in healing their faith and spirituality. “Fundamentalists tell us that their lives are in the hands of God and we, as doctors, are not God” (Frankel). One's religious beliefs should be respected, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. Especially in a country that promotes the right to practice one's religious beliefs like the United States. A mandatory donation for all would not benefit these people. It would mean denying them their fundamental rights as citizens of this country. They only believe in the healing power of prayer and this should be respected. Trying to morally solve something like increasing blood donations can cause entirely new problems for many. Dr. Sloan, professor of psychology, says, “Too often, deference to religion in contemporary American society has led us to subordinate all other values.” Taking someone's blood vigorously contradicts our laws. Unless blood sampling is justified in the case of a crime, it is inadmissible. The sample or the person carrying out the sample must obtain the patient's consent. If consent is withdrawn at any time or is not even received from patients, the procedure or treatment should not proceed; If they are then detained and forced to submit to a routine blood test, this is considered a form of assault and battery. Forcing someone to donate violates their constitutional rights. Proceeding with the donation without consent also violates the Fourteenth Amendment; “guarantee a wide range of rights against violation by States, including those listed in the Bill of Rights (freedom of speech, free exercise of religion, right to bear arms, etc.), as well as the right to privacy and others fundamental rights rights not mentioned elsewhere in the Constitution”. It goes against the basic rules of consensus. It is already in the name itself that it says "donate" blood. Donating is voluntarily donating something. Especially today we live in a world where people take back what they deserverights to one's own body. Many people take a stand in many situations involving the right to make choices about their bodies. These situations include abortion, vaccines, consent, etc. Forcing someone to donate their blood contradicts people's right to make their own choices in all these situations as well. How should people fight for their body choices and have people been forced to stick a needle into their arms and draw blood? Should organ donation and vaccine mandates also be legal and justified? This is a contradiction to everything we know today. When training a levy, it is taught that holding/forcing a patient in the slightest way is not acceptable. Even if a doctor were to order a patient to be held/forced to draw blood, the requests should not be complied with. Restraining a patient can lead to patient anxiety and escalate the situation quite quickly. This can also lead to the phlebotomy technician potentially injuring them. It is completely dangerous and illegal to force a donation on someone against their free will. Another reason a person might refuse to donate their blood is because of some of the health risks that can occur. Not only is drawing blood inconvenient, but it is also a process that takes up to an hour and fifteen minutes. It can cause redness, bleeding, and swelling around the site. A person may also feel weak or dizzy after donating. Although these symptoms usually disappear within three days, it is still something the patient should consider. Patients' health should not be taken lightly in any way because each of the listed symptoms has an effect on them and they should choose whether to deal with them or not. There are many reasons to donate blood. One beneficial thing is that I can save lives. The only way to do this is to rely on people donating. While it may save a life, the reality is that not all blood donations are used. So while someone may have taken the time to go out of their way and donate their blood, the donation still has to go through rigorous testing and could end up being rejected. Once the donation has taken place, the person who donated really doesn't know where their blood is going. Not only could it not be used or even be used to save a life if this was a valid reason. Because donating organs can save a life. Does this mean that everyone should be forced to donate organs to people who need them? According to AHIP, “in the United States alone, approximately 42,000 of the 4.1 million babies born each year would die prematurely from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines.” Does this mean that we should also allow vaccines to become mandatory or should we allow people to have the birthright to weigh the pros and cons to decide what is best for themselves? Mandatory blood donation will only lead to chaos as it is contradictory to many of the medical procedures and treatments offered as options today. According to a survey conducted by Carter Blood Care, the third main reason why you should donate blood is that it is a civic matter. duty or responsibility of every citizen. While this may be a form of civic duty, it doesn't mean you have to perform only this particular act. Someone might show and express their civic duty by doing and participating in many other things. One's civic duty can take many forms, such as voting, being an active member in one's community, paying taxes, joining the military, etc. For example, it is our civic duty to enlist.