I apologize if this seems lengthy, but felt that it might be useful:
FACTS ON BLOOD:
As you already might have guessed it, this section is all about safety precautions to be taken regarding blood. I tried to make it as thorough and as general as possible, I hope you will take the time to read what has been written in order not to put yourself or others at risk because of mindless use and manipulation of blood.
1. Make sure you are old enough.
People under the legal age of majority in their own area should NOT engage in bloodletting, bloodsharing, or any type of activities, whether they be vampyric or simply fetishism-related. Vampire-Awakening and its owner(s) can NOT be held responsible for any injuries, discomforts or disadvantages caused by unwise or inexperienced blood-related activity of any kind.
2. Do you really need blood?
The first thing to ask yourself when coming to this point in your life when you are about to engage in blood-related activities is: "Do I NEED to engage in those activities?". One should not engage in bloodsharing activities unless there is a physical or psychological IMMEDIATE need for it, such as the need to ingest blood that a sanguinarian vampyre may have, or for blood fetishists to calm their sexual urges.
3. Screen your bloodsharing partners carefully.
Even if you have known your bloodsharing partner for years and years, it is always recommended to go for a medical test and ask for your partner to do the same. This will automatically detect if any one of you are infected with a blood-carried disease. This simple step can help save lives, so do it today, BEFORE you engage in blood-related activities.
4. Use clean and sterile equipment.
Remember that being a sanguinarian vampyre does not make you immortal or immune to blood-carried diseases, especially not evidently the most hazardous of them all, AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDefficiency Syndrome). AIDS is carried via the bloodstream and can also survive outside the human body, namely in used medical equipment, contaminated fluids, as well as drugs of most kinds. To ensure the safety of all people in direct or indirect contact with blood, ALWAYS use sterilized and unused equipment. If possible, try to ensure that it is indeed sterile by buying said equipment in a drugstore, a hospital, or even from blood-drivers around the country, such as the American Red Cross, Hema-Quebec or the Canadian Red Cross. NEVER use the equipment to pierce the flesh or put it in contact with a wound, closed or opened, unless you are absolutely certain that it is indeed sterile and safe to use. This procedure, though it looks overly complicated and thorough, if applied correctly, will dramatically reduce the probability of infection.
5. Be careful about where you open a wound.
If you want to pierce the flesh of a donor, you have to be aware of the vital parts of a human body. For instance, you have to know where the major arteries are in order to avoid cutting those. Also, you should not cut into a muscle, as this could create very nasty infections, not to mention being very painful to the donor. Don't open a wound near the wrists, the rib cage, the heart, the jugular or the carotid, as this would most likely result in a dramatic loss of blood on the part of the donor. Forearms near the elbow are a good place to cut, as a soft spot on the inside of the forearm creates no or very little pain the donor, as well as maintaining a good integrity of the vital parts of the blood distribution system.
6. Direct or indirect
You have to decide whether or not you want the contact between you and the blood to be direct. Each has its pros and cons. For instance, if one is willing to "go direct", there would have to be a medical examination and tests done on both sides of the line, but the euphoria gained when directly bloodsharing will, for some, compensate the wait for medical results and the discomfort created by the testing of one's blood. The indirect method would be, for instance, via a syringe, which would extract the donor's blood, in order to be drank after by the vampyre. This technique has the advantage of having only one person to be tested, as well as the fact that it greatly minimizes the risks of infection on the part of the donor.
7. If you go direct, don't suck out the blood.
Though some people obtain some kind of euphoria or ecstasy from literally sucking the blood out of an open wound, it is not recommended to do so when bloodsharing. The sucking of the blood could result in a nasty infection over time, and may create a scar that will never disappear. It is more recommended, if you do draw blood directly from the wound, to only cut the flesh and lick off the blood that will flow.
8. Respect and appreciate your donor.
As stated in the Black Veil, and as understood and acknowledged by the overall majority of the community, donors are to be cherished, for their dedication keeps our community alive. Don't scare the donor by taking more than what he or she freely offers. Don't take donors for granted; it's not because he or she is bloodletting for you today that it will still be the case tomorrow. In decisions regarding the use of equipment, the method of flesh-piercing, and the amount of blood to be taken, the donor ALWAYS has the overriding right of veto. NEVER force a donor to give blood, as this might be interpreted as a hostile action towards him or her. Understand that you are in no way superior to him or her, as he or she is in no way superior to you. Understand that THEIR needs come first and that they are the vital source of energy of our community.
