Giving blood is easy and confidential. Essentially, all you have to do is show up.  Blood bank professionals do the rest. Taking less than an hour, it includes these steps:

SCREENING
Before giving blood, you'll complete a health screening. The screening is done to ensure the safety of the blood supply. It requires you to provide your name, address, age and proof of identification with photo or signature identification. Your pulse, temperature and blood pressure will be recorded, and a drop of blood is taken from your earlobe or finger to be analyzed for sufficient iron level. You'll also have to answer questions about your health, lifestyle and disease risk factors, including inquiries on sexual behavior, which are designed to prevent people with a high risk for HIV, hepatitis and other infectious diseases from donating blood.

DONATING                   
After being screened, you'll be seated on a padded table or chair, your arm will be cleaned and a sterile needle will be inserted into a vein in your arm. Then, blood flows from the vein in your arm through a soft plastic tube, attached to the needle, into a plastic bag at your side. In about 15 minutes, a unit, which measures 500 milliliters or a little less than one pint, will have been collected. Then, the needle is removed and a bandage is applied to the wound.