Figueroa-Levin: Roll up your sleeves and bleed -- for a good cause

There's a blood shortage in New York City.

Actually, there's a blood shortage throughout the country, but the New York Blood Center describes the local shortage as "critical." Blood isn't just needed for people in terrible accidents; people undergoing routine surgeries need it, too.

Fortunately, the problem is relatively easy to fix. All people have to do is donate.

After tragedies like 9/11, New Yorkers donated blood in such great numbers that, after a while, blood was no longer needed in some hospitals. Tragedies have a way of bringing people together to give of themselves for the greater good, but even when there isn't a massive catastrophe, people still need blood.

So if you are able, please consider donating. According to the Red Cross, one donation can save three lives. And chances are, there will be cookies, juice and even stickers involved. So if saving lives isn't enough incentive, you at least have that.

Yes, needles are scary, and looking at tubes of your own blood coming out of you can be unsettling, but you're helping to save lives. And don't forget the cookies. Just close your eyes, look at the cute guy giving blood next to you, or imagine swimming in a pool of cookies.

Since the only way to help ease the shortage is for people to donate, it would help if the Food and Drug Administration became a wee bit less homophobic. The FDA imposed a ban on donations from gay men at the height of the AIDS scare 30 years ago, but we now have highly accurate tests that can quickly determine if blood is contaminated with HIV. Allowing gay men to give blood once again would make the donating population bigger. Putting aside the fact that gay blood is exactly the same as any other blood, if I ever end up needing some, I'd want as many people as possible to be able to donate to me. But I digress.

Giving is easy. I've done it even though needles make me queasy. It's a relatively quick process and the benefits to the recipients are immeasurable. It's probably the easiest way on the planet to save a life. Just hold out your arm and let someone (gently) stick a needle in it. And just like that, you're a hero.

Oh, and if you're type O negative? That makes you a quadruple hero.

Roll up your sleeves.