TikToker Sells Her Blood Plasma for Spending Money

April 05, 2022

In a video circulating TikTok, a creator who goes by Taya on the app went viral after saying she donates plasma in order to have a little bit of spending money for her nails, toenails, and eyelash extensions. In just one week, she accumulated over one million views. In case you are unaware, plasma is the liquid part of the blood and helps clotting and immunity as it contains different antibodies and proteins. Plasma donation is incredibly common, although some may not be aware of what it is. Although not all countries legalized allowing the trade of plasma for monetary compensation, the US is one of the few countries that does.

In the comments, many were wondering why this is not talked about a lot, as it is good when people are short on cash or want a little extra money. In addition, it helps people, as several commenters thanked this TikToker for her donations and said that people like her were the people to save their own lives. One commenter wrote “I don’t know why more college kids don’t do this. I get $800 a month. pays my rent.” Many who were new to the concept of plasma donation wondered: how often can you donate plasma and how much are you compensated? The Red Cross allows plasma donation to occur every 28 days, which is 13 times a year. Private donation companies set their own standards, however, and can accept donations from the same patient multiple times a week.

https://www.tiktok.com/@bebemoako/video/7062112167860129070?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7043861003306944005

Due to COVID-19, the country is currently in a blood and plasma shortage, some companies are increasing the prices of compensation, hoping to encourage more donations. And although many see this as a win-win, as you get an extra income somewhat easily and help save people, others warned in the comments of the side effects of plasma donation. One commenter wrote that it disrupted her immune system, but she did not regret it as it was what she had to do in order to take care of her children. And although this is a great chance for an extra income, others are worried about the ethics of lower-income people having to sell their own plasma in order to pay rent or eat.

Taya is not the only content creator who posts about plasma, especially as the hashtag #donateplasma has over 16 million views. It can definitely be helpful to college students, who often do not have enough time to work and attend school full time, or someone who might be running low on money for the month. Or, as Taya shows in her video, it can be helpful when you want to treat yourself but do not want to spend extra money.