Giving plasma: a creepy way to earn a tank of gas, but also a great way to provide needed medical supplies to people suffering from any number of blood disorders. While some people swear by their bi-weekly visits as a great source of extra income, many consider selling plasma a sort of last-resort way to make a quick buck— one that they’d be ashamed of.

To clear up the confusion—and, yeah, to make a quick buck—I took a trip down to CSL Plasma and prepared myself for the inevitable needle-in-skin action that holds most people back from making the trip themselves.

First of all, let’s get the important stuff out of the way:

• The needle. It’s about as big as a coffee stirrer, or as the nurse told me, “About the size of the tip of a ball-point pen.” The insertion of said needle was quick and mostly painless. They let you choose which arm you’d like have punctured, and you’re seated in a rather comfortable recliner during the entire process.
• The money. You are allowed to give plasma twice a week. Depending on your weight (there are three weight groups), you make between $25 and $35 for your first two visits, and after you’re no longer a new donor, you earn from $15 (110-149lbs) up to $30 (175lbs+) per visit. That said, if you’re over 175lbs, you can earn an easy $200 per month if you go twice a week for four weeks. If you go 8 times per month, the absolute minimum you can make is $120.
• The people. I’m going to be honest—it seemed like half the people in the room giving plasma with me were probably going to rush out of there with their money and go meet up with their drug dealer. The clientele is somewhat shady, yes, but there’s a good mix of regular folk in there, too. I saw several people in scrubs, an Applebees server, a Pizza Hut delivery boy, and even a few very proper looking middle-aged women. As for the staff, they’re trained nurses and all very polite and clean. Everything is very sanitary and I was actually treated like a customer.

As a new donor, you’ll have to undergo a brief physical from one of the nurses. There’s no turning of head and coughing, though—the physical consists of basic mouth/ear/eyes checks, and that’s about it. The enrollment process, combined with the time you spend giving plasma, will take you about 3 hours for your first visit. Every time after that, you can be in and out in less than 90 minutes.

After you’re all set up and in their system, each time you visit, you’ll be subjected to a quick prick of the finger (to make sure you’re hydrated enough to donate), and a weight check to insure they pull the proper amount of plasma from your body. Once you’re set up and have the needle in your arm, it’s smooth sailing for the next 45 minutes to an hour. TVs lining the walls play movies all day long, and you’re allowed to read, text, listen to music, or even use a laptop. The only things you’re not allowed to do are sleep or actually talk on the phone. After all the plasma has been pulled, the machine you’re hooked up to will return your red blood cells to your body. Then you’ll be given a receipt with a pin number on it to use at their special ATM machine. Simply punch in the numbers, grab your cash, and you’re done!

Giving plasma will probably always have a stigma to it, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter.  I found giving plasma to be a quick and easy way to make a few bucks, and you can at least leave knowing that your plasma is going to help someone in need.

CSL Plasma, 1515 E. Central, is open Mon–Fri. 8:00–6:00 and Sat.–Sun. 8:00–3:00. Call 316.264.6973 for more information.