When I first donated blood, the consent form was a single A5 sheet.  10 questions max.  Post-HIV, the form has grown 800%.  It’s not ALL HIV related.  For example, if you’re lived in England, there’s a special “Mad Cow” question just for you.

But that’s it, or was until recently.

“Apheresis Information and Consent Form – Saline Compensation”, covers such wonderful topics as

• What is apheresis?
  I’ve been donating apheresis off/on for the last 20ish years, think I’d know by now.
• How long does plasmapheresis/plateletphersis take, and how much is collected?
  About the same time as ‘I can hold it in’ before needing to rush to the toilets.  It’s a long time for me, about 70mins.
• What problems can arise from apheresis donation?
  The one’s they don’t list on the form:
  * taking several attempts to harpoon the vein.
  * punching though the vein.
  * bruising around the harpoon site.

Oh I don’t regret being an apheresis donor.

But a 4 page consent form??? It’s a world gone mad.