19.08.2005

Conductor: Leticia Cortes Ferreira

Raporteur: Kadi Grichin

The participants were divided into 2 groups. One group was to think about the advantages of starting to promote blood donation at early age (before 18) and the other group would defend the promoting of blood donation after 18 years old. Here are the arguments presented by the groups:

ARGUMENTS FOR START WITH BLOOD DONATION BEFORE 18:

Awareness – if one does know about the blood donation before he/she can actually give blood, he/she has better awareness and preparation for becoming a blood donor. Then you’d already know about the blood donation, you are confident about it. You have had time to think about blood donation carefully, so when you turn 18, you are really convinced and might become a regular donor.

Biology classes – In the biology curricula there are, for example, already the subjects related to the blood donation matter: diseases, blood, HIV, etc. Just mentioning the blood donation in the positive meaning will do a good thing.

Denmark – They do blood tests in school - 15-16 years – it is a perfect time for telling something about blood donation as well (one can receive only the blood for the same type).

Influence to the parents - When the children come home later and parents ask, how was the school today, they will talk about blood test, blood types, blood donation – and ask maybe, are you a donor or why are you not a donor.

Link with the real life. There often is complaining – that the subjects in school do not give to the children knowledge about how to deal with the problems that they face after finishing high school.

Repeating is the mother of wisdom - Blood donation is good – tell it since the children are little, then it will be in their minds, if they are old enough to give blood.

Curiosity - the age before 18 is time for and openness to the new things.

Convincing - When people are young, they are easier good to convince – if you are told that it is a good thing, you will believe it.

Orientation to the friends - if it concerns their friends, children are really concerned – in age of 15 friends mean everything. So, if you are explained, that if you become blood donor, You could save the life of Your friend, it really matters to them…

Time factor - you have to start earlier to get to everybody before they turn 18, otherwise you lose time for promotion and they might become donors later than they actually can give blood.

Children today become earlier mature.

Personal approach, no fear – To take children with to the blood center since very early years, they will be used with doctors and matters that are happening in the hospitals, they are not going to be afraid of doctors.

ARGUMENTS FOR START WITH BLOOD DONATION AFTER 18:

We should wait until 18, because it is really the time you can actually give blood.

It may be a waste of time and money, to promote it the blood donation too earlier!

We should protect children from of adult matters.

It wouldn’t be interesting to them in earlier years.

Blood donation is too complicated matter to them. They are too young to understand it in details.

They are not responsible to be told such topic as blood donation – they could start playing blood donation and heart themselves.

They forget about the diseases.

Specially teens tend do opposite what you tell them to do – so if you tell it is a good thing to be blood donor, they will probably be against it. If the blood donation is something that is promoted in school, they’ll hate it.

They won’t understand why to wait until 18 before giving blood – they think that they are adult much earlier.

Changing positions: In the middle of the discussion the groups were asked to defend the opposite view, trying to find new arguments. – a really good practice for everybody in order to try to think otherwise than you are used to, or you have been prepared to. If you manage to think the way your opposite person do, you can prevent many accusations and to be ready for uncomfortable questions and to be aware of the position of the other side.

CONCLUSIONS: After the discussions some of the arguments where considered as not true and the group reach the conclusion that starting an early promotion is good, as long as you take in consideration that

Children are not the main target of Blood Banks and should be target only if possible and if there is enough resources for it.

15 to 17 may be a good age to start the promotion because they can’t donate but they can already be good volunteers for the cause and will be soon donating;

You can’t over promote blood donation or you’ll risk "boring your audience" before they get to the age of really donating.