SYDNEY, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Red Cross says a jump in the number of Aussies getting tattoos has put a dent in the number of blood donations it normally received.
The Red Cross said on Tuesday that tattoos had caused a 31 percent drop in blood donations from 127,000 in 2008 to 87,000 in 2015 with the major factor being pinpointed to tattoos.
Those getting new tattoos must wait for at least six months before donating blood because of an increase in the risk of hepatitis C infection, the Red Cross said.
To combat the problem, the Red Cross has joined a global campaign called "Missing Type" to help raise awareness on blood donation.
Throughout the week-long campaign, the letters of the main blood groups A, B, and O will disappear from signs, planes, post office boxes and elsewhere throughout New South Wales to raise awareness for the global campaign.
"In Australia, there is a particular need for 100,000 new donors this financial year to help service the growing need for plasma-based medicines that thousands of Australian patients depend on for quality of life," the Red Cross said in a statement.
Besides tattoos, other factors believed to be affecting blood donation levels include people travelling to more exotic locations around the world, having less free time and not being aware of the need to donate blood.
