Abstract

Background and Objectives

Religious beliefs are one of the positive motivations for blood donation. The present study aimed to compare blood donation on religious days and normal days with respect to donor pattern and safety of donors.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals who referred to the main centres and portable teams of Shiraz Blood Transfusion Centre, Iran for donation on two days Tasua and Ashura days  and three days 19th, 21st, and 23rd of Ramadan (2009-2013) and on similar dates one month before these religious days .Afterwards, the donors’ characteristics (age, sex, marital status, and donation status), donor deferral rate, and the prevalence rates of hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV in blood donors were compared among them. The comparisons were made through proportion tests using Med Calc software (v. 8.0).

Results

The results revealed significant increase in the number of blood donors on Tasua and Ashra days (1.4fold). Most of the donors who referred on the religious days were male (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed regarding marital status and donation status. The prevalence  rates of hepatitis B and hepatitis C were  lower in the blood donors who referred on religious days and  compared to those referring on similar dates (p < 0.001).

Conclusions 

Higher numbers of blood donors and lower prevalence rate  of Hepatitis B and hepatitis C  on religious day shows the importance of recruiting blood donors and providing possibilities for blood donation on these days  can improve blood adequacy and blood safety.