Teresa,
I also give blood about 4 times a year as well as platelets and plasma. As a doc, this is important to me. I’ve never been denied since my iron levels (which is what the American Red Cross checks before dontation) were at least above the minimal levels. However, when I’ve had a CBC drawn (Complete Blood Count) every so often my hemoglobin which carries oxygen to the tissues and hematocrit (% of red blood cells) are low and I go on iron for awhile. I’ve never been able to figure out why and have ruled out other important reasons such as a slow gastrointestinal bleeding such as would be with colon cancer, etc., by regular colonoscopy, particularly of interest since there has been colon cancer in the family. We have not done a bone marrow biopsy but that may be coming down the road if this becomes more persistent rather than episodic.
Physiologically some have suggested that males have a higher hemoglobin/hematocrit than females possibly because of testosterone which may increase RBC production (seen in testosterone supplementation) to supply increased muscle mass as well as RBC (red blood cell) loss in females due to menses. However, the problem with that is that RBC production in the bone marrow is stimulated by a hormone secreted by the kidney called Erythropoietin or EPO. When we have enough RBC’s the EPO is turned off and when we need more EPO is secreted by the kidney, controlled by what we call a negative feed back. The catcher is that regardless of the differences in hemoglobin and hematocrit in males vs. females, the EPO levels are essentially the same in males and females when we would expect it to be higher in females than males to get the hemoglobin/hematocrit levels closer to equal. So it has to be something else, maybe just a physiological manifestation of muscle mass greater in males and oxygen delivery systems, possibly more efficient in females.
So when it comes to if there is a reason related to one being transgender, particularly without hormone supplementation, nothing seems to fit or provide a provable reason. We know our wiring, our physiology, our receptor sites are different, dictated before birth. With some of the questions still remaining about differences in hemoglobin/hematocrit in non-transgender individuals, I’m sure I won’t find a verified reason before I’m gone.
While I am not a hematologist by specialty, if one has a regular deficiency in hemoglobin/hematocrit, I’d tend to make sure that is it isn’t something else other than due to being transgender.
Dr. J
PS….sorry for the long response. I tend to lecture when I get to something I like and know a little bit about. Sorry y’all.