• Donating plasma is a way to make some extra money while saving lives. Donated plasma is sent to hospitals and health care centers and may be used by people with hemophilia, pregnant mothers and newborn babies, emergency room patients and burn victims. The process of donating plasma is simple but can take some time. Some people spend about four 4 per week donating plasma.
  
  

Initial Visit

• The first time you donate plasma you will undergo an initial health screening and orientation. Most donation sites insist that you have an appointment for your first visit. You will need to bring a current ID with you. A medical history will be taken, and you will be asked several questions about your sexual history, drug use history and other behaviors that may make it impossible for you to donate. If you have recently traveled outside of the United States, you will be asked to provide details about your travel.
  
  You will be given a brief physical exam and may be asked to provide blood and urine samples. You will be weighed, as you are required to weigh at least 110 pounds to donate. You must also be at least 18 years old.
  
  

Subsequent Visits

• During subsequent visits, you will be asked to show ID and will provide a small blood sample (usually a finger-stick) that will be checked for protein and iron levels. Your blood pressure and temperature will be taken, and you will be weighed. Depending on the state in which you live, you may have to answer the "at-risk" questionnaire regarding behaviors and history.
  
  

Before You Donate

• About 2 hours before donation, eat a healthy meal. This will ensure that your protein level is adequate and that your body has the energy it needs to undergo the donation process. It is also very important to be well-hydrated before you donate.
  
  If you are ill, you should not donate plasma.
  
  

What is Plasma?

• Plasma makes up a little more than half of your blood; the rest consists of red and white blood cells and platelets. Plasma is yellow in color. Your body regenerates plasma very quickly. Donors may donate twice per week, allowing 1 day in between donations.
  
  

The Process

• You will donate plasma in a large room that contains 20 to 50 other donors. Once you are seated in a reclining chair, the technician will place a blood pressure cuff on your upper arm, then insert a sterile needle into a vein. Your blood will travel through a tube and into a sterile separating device. This device separates your plasma from the rest of your blood by spinning it. The process is called plasmapheresis. The remainder of your blood is returned to your body through the same needle. Your blood is never exposed to the air; it is kept inside a sterile environment throughout the process.
  
  

Payment

• Though you may donate your plasma for free, most donation centers pay donors in cash. Once you have completed the donation process you will sign for and collect your payment. You are only allowed to donate blood twice per week.