Perceptions of donor screening-Do I always need to tell the truth?

The Donor Health Assessment Questionnaire (DHQ) is fundamental to blood safety. We describe attitudes towards truthfulness among first-time donors who tested positive for transfusion transmissible infections and those who did not.

From 2005 to 2022 donors positive for infectious markers (cases) and demographically matched controls rated their agreement with statements about truthfulness, privacy and the value of the DHQ.

There were 798 (32% participation) cases and 3192 (39% participation) controls. Most said they read questions carefully (93% cases, 96% controls, p < 0.01) and answered truthfully (95% cases, 99% controls p < 0.01). Fewer thought the questions make the blood safer (79% cases, 80% controls, p = 0.39) and some agreed it is OK not to answer questions truthfully if you know your blood is safe (21% cases, 16% controls, p < 0.01). Privacy to answer personal questions was generally adequate (88% cases, 91% controls, p < 0.01). Attitudes were similar regardless of paper or electronic DHQ format.

Most first time donors believe they answer screening questions truthfully, but some question the safety benefit to recipients and judge whether they need to be truthful. This was true for donors with positive infectious markers as well as their matched infection-negative controls.