I am not advocating this nor do I believe giving advice to those under 18 but here are two different articles on safe practices from the organization I belong to that were posted by Elders. One thing to remember they have found viruses that cause cervical cancer and women can be tested for this but there are as yet NO tests for males so unless you have been with a male for a long time I would be very cautious about this. When these were written this was not known.
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The problem, of course, is that many people do have cuts or sores in
their mouth. Gingivitis is common, as is herpes; most people get
cold sores from time to time. Gums bleed after flossing or after a
vigourous brushing. As if that isn't enough, we also tend to have
problems with sore throats, burns (after eating food that is too hot
or spicy), cuts or sores from accidentally biting our tongues while
eating...This is why blood drinking is an act of total trust and total surrender. Quite simply, you are putting your life in your donor's hands. Donors tend to be lovers because lovers are often more
willing to engage in such a bizarre and intimate act as "feeding" blood to their partner, and because most vampires and blood fetishists are not crazy enough to trust just *anybody* with their lives.
There are ways to minimize risk. Don't brush your teeth or floss before drinking blood; wash your mouth out with an antibacterial mouthwash to kill any germs that might cause an infection on contact
with the donor, but don't brush until well after you have fed and no longer have traces of blood in your mouth. Don't drink from a donor who you either don't know well enough to trust his/her cleanliness, or who hasn't presented you with negative results for various blood
tests. Don't drink when you have cuts or sores on your tongue, mouth area, lips, or throat unless you are with a donor who is known to be clean of disease and who preferably is your exclusive partner and does not partake of the bodily fluids of other people. Monogamy is a
nice idea, but it isn't really realistic. "Serial monogamy" happens to be the cultural norm, and it's a contradiction in terms - if
someone has had sex or shared fluids with eight other people before
you, then you are effectively drinking from all nine of the people involved, plus the sexual partners of any of your donor's previous lovers...Responsible polyamory is just as safe as serial monogamy,
and to only share fluids with one person at a time; if that person has not tested clean of HIV, herpes, etc, then do not share fluids at all. Both partners, or all partners if this is a triad or whatever, should follow this basic etiquette. Fluids should never be shared outside of the nuclear family unit, even if that unit is not
a committed, married one.
It would be wise to remember that HIV does not show up on either an ELISA test or a Western Blot until after the incubation period, when
it is most contagious; a clean bill of health is not failsafe. Furthermore, HIV is not the only dangerous and incurable virus out
there. Herpes cannot be cured, it can only be treated. Hepatitis can be vaccinated against, but the vaccine for Hepatitis B is only 75% effective, and the vaccine for Hepatitis C takes six months to get,
in a series of three shots, which are rather expensive and are not always covered by a medical plan (if you live in the USA). Some strains of syphilis are resistant to antibiotics. Believe me, you
don't want syphilis!
Yes, there are worse things than AIDS (which is nevertheless the #1
killer of young Americans under the age of 35). They're just as easily contracted, if not more so. Are you scared, yet?
Ultimately, the choice of who to drink from depends on one's comfort zones. How much trust do you have for your partner? how reckless do you feel? Drinking from a strange person is not advisable unless you have no cuts or lesions in your mouth/throat area, at any rate; other than that, it probably shouldn't make anyone panic to have intimate activity of that sort with a stranger who you never see again, it's less risky than unprotected sex, but it's not a habit you want to get into. Blood carries disease. We can't get away from that; all we can do is minimize risk. The ideal way to feed is with
a steady partner who only shares fluids with you. If that isn't possible, then don't feed unless you know you do not have openings in your mouth or throat that the blood can enter.
Other nasties:
Drinking animal blood is even riskier, thanks to factory farming. Most blood from large producers is infected with salmonella, often with e coli and botulism as well. The human body can actually
tolerate small amounts of these bacteria, and continued exposure will build up an even greater resistence to such toxins, but it's best not to push your luck. Eating rare steak might be safe if you
have a cast-iron stomach. Drinking the animal blood is not safe unless you get the blood from a butcher who got the meat from a small, free-range supplier, and even then it's a risk. If you hunt
the meat yourself (do you have a permit to hunt deer?) and slaughter it yourself, you at least know where the blood came from - you know it hasn't been slaughtered in an abattoir and processed in an environment that gets animal feces and so on in places where it isn't
supposed to go. (Things haven't changed that much since Upton
Sinclair wrote _The Jungle_. Really.) BSE is more of a risk in America than in the EU, because Americans still feed their ranch
animals food that is made from reconstituted animal parts. Don't
forget about antibiotics, either. (Another good reason to avoid factory-farmed meat and dairy products) Finally, don't drink raw pig blood - it's risky. Trichinosis is probably easier to get from raw
flesh than from raw blood, but I wouldn't want to take my chances. On the other hand, black pudding is very nutritious and filling, it satisfies the blood craving, and the blood is cooked, so it's safe
to eat.
The act of drinking:
Do not drink more than a shot glass or so of raw blood - it will make you puke your guts out. Blood is very rich and large quantities curdle in the stomach. (You shouldn't need that much, anyway; and
taking more than a shot glass or so from a willing donor is bad for the donor) Eating bread with your blood, or mixing it with milk and warming that mixture up, will help somewhat, but blood is so rich
that you really do not need to drink much before you fill up.
Feeding technique: Biting is bad - the human mouth is germy, and
biting is painful anyway; it also doesn't produce much blood. It is much better to use a sharp, fresh lancet, scalpel, or razor blade on an area of skin that isn't near any veins or arteries or internal
organs. I cut on the back, the upper thigh, the chest, or (very
occasionally and very carefully!) the hand or certain parts of the neck. Cutting deeply is unnecessary. What you are trying to do is cause the equivalent of a shaving nick. It doesn't hurt to
accidentally cut yourself while shaving, does it? And you can get a lot of blood if you don't immediately stanch the flow. Making two small, shallow cuts in an X shape prevents the wound from closing
immediately and allows you to get more blood from the wound, but it also increases scarring risk. Never make a circular cut, the skin in the middle of the circle might die once it has been cut off from normal blood flow, and fall off. Ick. (Ouch.) Most cuts of this nature close up in six minutes or so, although an X shaped cut sometimes stays open as long as fifteen or twenty minutes. Remember
that you are only trying to get the quivalent of one mouthful of blood, at most. If you start to feel dizzy or queasy, stop drinking, because you have reached your limit. If you are a trained
phlebotomist, then it is safe for you to use a syringe and needle to
remove a small amount of blood from your donor's veins, but I discourage this unless you have actually been trained to do it. It's a painless technique, but it can backfire, and untrained practitioners can cause serious damage (a nasty ematoma being the least you can expect if something goes wrong!) Have first aid
supplies handy (bandages/plasters, disinfectant). Use them after
feeding. I don't use disinfectant before feeding because it tastes
disgusting, and I am guilty of not always using it afterwards, and I haven't seen a wound get infected yet, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Be ready to use direct pressure, pressure points, or
even a tourniquet if an accident happens (unlikely if you are avoiding veins and arteries). If you don't know the procedures for stopping a heavy blood flow, take a first aid course.
Vitamin E oil or lotion helps reduce the risk of scarring.
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Blood Safety
Blood carries many diseases, and contrary to the mythos perpetuated by Hollywood, Vampires are NOT immortal, and we can get sick and die. We are NOT immune to bloodborne diseases. A good thing to remember is that if something is contagious in any form, whether it be through blood, sneezing, sexual contact, coughing, touch, anything, it can be passed very easily through sanguine feeding. Here are a few of the more common diseases that can be passed through the blood :
AIDS, Brucellosis, Chicken Pox (Varicella), Chlamidia, Colds,Diptheria, Food Poisoning, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (A-B-C-D-G, yes there are 5 types of hepatitis), Herpes, Influenza, Legionnaires' Disease, Malaria, Measles, Meningitis, Mumps, Rubella, Scarlet Fever,Shingles, Spotted Fever, Strep Throat, Syphilis, Toxic Shock Syndrome, Tuberculosis, Typhus, Warts, and I am sure there are others as well.
The danger is not only through the blood. Donors can end up with scars, nerve damage, infections, anemia, etc. Both donors and vampires should get tested. The tests to request from your Doctor are: CBC, Chem 20 (chemical profile or SMAC), VDRL (STD profile), and HIV.
The Red Cross does not allow more than one donation of 1 pint (473.18ml) of blood to be given per any 8 week (56 days) period.
1ml = 1cc.
5cc = one teaspoon.
Two teaspoons of blood per day equal 70ml of blood per week, 280ml per month, and 560ml per two month period. This is 86.82ml's more than the recommended amount allowed by the Red Cross for the same period of time.
If you are Sanguine (or a donor), always look out for the health of your donor (or yourself if you are the donor), and watch for symptoms of anemia, fatigue, problems concentrating, vampiric tendencies (does not mean they are a vampire, just means they have been over fed from), mood swings, loss of consciousness, irritablity, poor coordination, dizzyness, headache, nausea, pale skin, etc.brain damage, organ damage, coma, and or death. Remember, severe blood loss can cause brain damage, organ damage, coma, and or death.
Blood is a natural emetic, in other words, it will make you throw up. Also, it is possible to have antibodies in your bloodstream that will make you very sick if you consume blood from a particular individual(s). Every donor has a different makup, you may be allergic to the blood of one donor, but not that of another. Listen to your bodies. Watch out for severe stomach upsets from even minute amounts of your donor's blood. You can kill yourself by drinking blood incompatible with you. Allergic reactions rarely happen the first time you are exposed to the allergen. An allergy can crop up at any time, even after years of being exposed, so always trust your body's signals.
Only a small percentage of the community NEEDS to feed this way. There are other much safer ways to feed. Psy feeding and Elemental feeding are the safest methods, as there is not risk of disease. You must be sure to filter the energy you get from others, and as always, be ethical. Ask permission if you are going to do a deep feeding. Ambient feeding (feeding off the energy cast off by many people, such as at a Church service, or in the mall) is ok, if the method works for you. Elemental feeding is fairly easy as nature and its energy is all around us. In other words, if you do not NEED to Sang feed,
DON'T!
Proper Sanguine Feeding Techniques
Hygiene is the most important factor after proper testing of both the Vampire and the Donor. Always be sure to properly clean the donor site BEFORE breaking the skin.
Antiseptics are a diverse class of drugs which are applied to skin surfaces or mucous membranes for their anti-infective effects. This may be either bactericidal or bacteriostatic. Their uses include cleansing of skin and wound surfaces after injury, preparation of skin surfaces prior to cutting. Antiseptics are also used for disinfection of inanimate objects, including instruments and furniture surfaces.
Commonly used antiseptics for skin cleaning include benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine, hexachlorophine, iodine compounds, mercury compounds, alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. Other agents which have been used for this purpose, but have largely been supplanted by more effective or safer agents, include boric acid and volatile oils such as methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen.) Mercury compounds should be avoided because they can cause allergic reactions.
Benzalkonium chloride and hexachlorophine are used primarily as hand scrubs or face washes. Benzalkonium may also find application is a disinfecting agent for instruments, and in low concentration as a preservative for drugs including ophthalmic solutions. Benzalkonium chloride is inactivated by organic compounds, including soap, and must not be applied to areas which have not been fully rinsed.
Iodine compounds include tincture of iodine and povidone iodine compounds. Iodine compounds have the broadest spectrum of all topical anti-infectives, with action against bacteria, fungi, viruses, spores, protozoa, and yeasts. Iodine tincture is highly effective, but its alcoholic component is drying and extremely irritating when applied to abraided (scraped or rubbed) skin. Povidone iodine, an organic compound, is less irritating and less toxic, but not as effective. Povidone iodine has been used for hand scrubs and disinfection of surgical sites. Aqueous solutions of iodine have also been used as antiseptic agents, but are less effective than alcoholic solutions and less convenient to use that the povidone iodine compounds.
Hydrogen peroxide acts through the liberation of oxygen gas. Although the antibacterial activity of hydrogen peroxide is relatively weak, the liberation of oxygen bubbles produces an effervescent action, which may be useful for wound cleansing through removal of tissue debris. The activity of hydrogen peroxide may be reduced by the presence of blood and pus. The appropriate concentration of hydrogen peroxide for antiseptic use is 3%, although higher concentrations are available.
The basic method for any sanguine feeding is as follows:
1. Ask permission, or give permission - do not assume
2. Set Up - includes cleaning the area, the instruments, opening packages, laying the items out, washing your hands, brush your teeth, etc.
3. Gloves are recommended.
4. Prepare the site, use an antiseptic wash on the area...at least 2-3 times the size of the anticipated cut.
5. Use your preferred method of breaking the skin....see below.
6. After feeding, immediately clean the wound with more antiseptic, put antibiotic ointment and a bandage over the wound.
7. Clean up the instruments and the area...don't want to inadvertently roll over onto a scalpel blade...
The following are the preferred methods used for safe sanguine feeding. I will go into detail for each of them.
Diabetic Lancet - Simply prime the lancet device, place it against the side of the fingertip and press the release button. Squeeze the finger in a downward motion towards the tip to bring the blood to the surface. Aspirin and alcohol tend to thin the blood, as does heat and friction. Remember to not drink and use Tylenol together, as it can cause damage to the kidneys with only one occurrence.
Sterilized single use scalpel - After cleaning the area, hold the skin taught, and make a surface incision not more than about 1 inch long. Some like to make a second incision to create an "X" in the skin. This does allow more blood to come to the surface, but is also more likely to scar. The depth of the cut should be quite shallow. You are only trying to cut the top layer of the skin. Bleeding will start in a few moments. Remember to throw away the blade after it is used.
Sterilized multi- use scalpel, Sterilized Exacto blade, Sterilized single edge razor blade - Always sterilize your instruments. An autoclave is ideal, but not practical, boiling for 5 minutes then using tongs to remove the blades followed by alcohol on the blade right before using it is second best, and using alcohol alone is third. Do not use the instruments on more than one individual. Use a different set for each if you have more than one donor.
Venipuncture - should not be attempted except by a trained phlebotomist.
This site can give you some direction: http://www.phlebotomycert.com/index.htm
This section gives a few nice graphics and pointers: http://www.phlebotomycert.com/veni_spec_handlg.htm
Biting as a sanguine feeding technique is NOT recommended. The human mouth is filled with bacteria. The use of fake or created fangs can cause damage similar to a cat bite, essentially creating a puncture wound. Puncture wounds appear innocuous on the surface, but the underlying injury goes deep. Puncture wounds inject bacteria into the skin, and the deep, narrow wound is difficult to clean. Any bite that punctures the skin CANNOT be treated with over-the-counter (OTC) remedies. The bacteria can produce such complications as septic arthritis, tenosynovitis, meningitis, and infections of the lymphatic system. Live disease-causing bacteria within the bloodstream and tissues cause complications far from the wound site. Such complications include meningitis, brain abscesses, pneumonia and lung abscesses, and heart infections, among others. These complications can be fatal. Deep bites or bites near joints can damage joints and bones, causing inflammation of the bone and bone marrow or septic arthritis. Bite wounds are also much more likely to scar.
Supply List
antiseptic wash - swabs plus, tincture of iodine, alcohol/alcohol prep pads, etc.
2X2 gauze pads
Bandaids
antibiotic ointment
scalpel blades
scalpel handle (#3 is a good handle and can be used with blades #10-25)
gloves if desired
lancets
lancing device
rubber tourniquet
syringes
butterfly blood collection sets
In case of emergencies:
butterfly strips
steri-strips
gauze roll
first aid tape
telephone (to call 911)
