As spokesperson for the American Red Cross, I would like to address the public's rapidly growing concern over our nation's blood supply. The population of our country must abate their fears regarding contamination of our blood supply from the AIDS virus and hepatitis. Since the early nineteenth century the United States has used intravenous administration from a donor to a recipient for blood transfusions. The Red Cross prerequisites for safeguarded and reliable blood transfusions involves knowledge of donor screening and selection, and most importantly testing for the presence of antibodies for AIDS, and testing for retroviral infections specifically Hepatitis B.

Initially, safety in blood transfusions translates into highly effective donor screening and selection, as well as pretransfusion testing for the presence of transmissible and infectious diseases in the donor's blood. Today blood transfusions are one of medicines safest procedures in comparison to American's dying from Salmonella in bad chicken or complications from a general anesthesia ("Blood Supply Safer" 16). Likewise, the United States volunteer blood collecti

The safety of our nation's blood banks remains a top priority with the Red Cross and our government. This serious responsibility shared by all medical professionals must continue to reach higher health and safety criteria for all individuals whether they are a hemophiliac, a pregnant mother and her unborn child, or a senior citizen preparing for open heart surgery. Physicians must continue to instruct and encourage patients able to donate their own blood prior to surgery to do so, promoting autologous blood donation. The cause of our nation's alarm and even dread of the need for a blood transfusion must be laid to rest completely by the beginning of the twenty-first century. Through the Red Cross educational and informational programs we will do this, as well as keep our promise for the highest regard for individuals health rights through continued quality safeguards and future technological advances to protect our nation's blood supply.

Today America's government and blood banks are prepared to deal with the risks of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) which attacks the human immune system and can be transmitted through blood transfusions because of our critically accurate check system in place and support from the FDA and Congress. Public awareness without ignorance and fear is essential in dealing with the AIDS uprising. The evolution of this epidemic will not affect our blood donation when over 14,000,000 blood components are transfused yearly in the United States ("Blood Supply Safer" 16). Statistics reported in "USA Today" report over twenty percent of HIV infections in adults is found in North America and South America, yet only one hundred infections in 1995 were related to blood components from transfusions ("Blood Supply Safer" 16.)

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