Plasma donation is an easy, socially conscious way to pick up a little extra money. If you like helping people, want to help further research, or even if you just need a little extra cash to get you through the month, this could be for you.

What is Plasma?

Plasma is the liquid component of your blood. It is yellowish in color and contains proteins, hormones, antibodies, and clotting factors. The center you donate to could use your plasma for a number of things including preventing infections, treating shock or burn patients, treating bleeding disorders like hemophilia, creating a drug to prevent Staph infections in newborns, treating newborns whose blood type was incompatible with the mother's, and treating emphysema. Plasma is an incredibly useful substance, which is why some centers are willing to pay for it.

Who Can Donate?

There are some limitations on who can donate plasma. You must be between the ages of 18 and 65, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. You will also probably not be able to donate if you have gotten a tattoo or piercing within the last year, have a number of risk factors for HIV or hepatitis, or have lived in Europe for a prolonged period of time. Some centers will also exclude you if you have a family history of cancer.

How to Find a Center

Not all places that accept plasma donations offer cash compensation, so be sure to ask. You should be able to find a center in your area through internet listings or in the yellow pages of the phone book. There are many for profit plasma donation centers, so you should be able to find one nearby. DCI Biologicals has centers in several states if you need a place to start your search.

Your First Visit

The first donation will take the longest, since the center must determine that you are healthy enough to donate. Be sure to eat well and drink plenty of fluids that day so you're ready to donate, and be prepared to wait for a while at the center. Much like donating blood, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire and the iron level of your blood will be tested (this is done with a finger prick). They will also give you a short medical examination and may wish to take a picture of you for their records. You will need to bring a photo id.

Once you've been determined fit to donate, you will be asked to sit in one of their donation chairs. These are fairly comfortable and allow you to relax. You can chose to donate from your left or right arm if you have a preference, and much like normal blood donation, the needle will be inserted in the inside of your elbow. You may experience some pain when the needle is inserted, but most find that the finger prick to check their iron levels was actually worse. Then you simply sit back and wait while the machine filters your blood and separates the amount of plasma needed for donation. Your platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells will all be returned to you, which means the recovery time will be shorter than for whole blood donations. Because of this, you should be able to safely donate twice a week. This first visit will probably take about two hours. The following donations may be as short as half an hour depending on how busy the center is when you come in.

How Much Can I Make?

This question is difficult, as each center will have its own policy. A normal range is about $20-60 a visit. Usually there are extra incentives if you donate twice a week. You may also be able to make a little extra if you refer a friend. Centers will often offer more for people who have had certain vaccines, such as Hepatitis B, or soldiers who have received the anthrax vaccine.

What Are the Risks?

Provided you are in good health, there are actually relatively few risks. The center will use all sterile equipment, so there is almost no chance of infection. You may feel lightheaded after donating and could possibly pass out. Tell the staff if you're not feeling well, and they should let you to stay in the chair and drink fluids until you're feeling better. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids in the next few days, and your body will quickly replace the lost plasma. If you choose to donate twice a week for a long period of time, you will most likely have some scars. Since these are the same marks often seen in drug users, you may have to answer a few questions now and then-so be forewarned.

If you can get past your fear of needles, donating plasma is a good way to earn a little extra money and help people in need at the same time.