Hi! Since you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to get updates.

Blood Feeding & Safety

Sanguinarians or “sangs” are vampires that feed on blood. Although the need or desire for blood energy is common among what most consider “real” vampires, it can be very dangerous. Please use utmost caution when blood feeding.

Keep in mind these are simply my suggestions and views, and may or may not reflect those of the vampire community in general.

Safety

Contrary to some people’s belief, neither modern vampires in general, not sanguinarians in particular, are immortal or immune to disease. We can all die. For this reason, it is absolutely imperative that you know for a fact that both you and your donor are free of blood-born diseases. HIV, AIDS and STDs are a real threat. You must get yourself and your donor tested prior to any exchange of bodily fluids. Don’t go on the assumption that your donor “looks” like a clean person, or take their word that they are disease free. As a matter of safety, courtesy and trust, both parties should be fully tested. It is also unwise to have multiple donors, unless you again make sure that each one is tested. And be tested  regularly!! You can never be too safe, and it is always possible that through donation, sexual contact or drug abuse, that a donor or feeder may become infected after initial testing. (Personally, I would strongly suggest steering clear of persons with “tracks” or other signs of drug abuse, as not only do they have a greater risk of becoming infected with disease, they may also not be in their right mind or fit to consent to donating.)

Be sure you are open and honest with your donor. Discuss testing, your method of feeding, and if your comfortable enough, you may even want to address any issues of promiscuity that could endanger you or your donor. Be sure your donor understands the potential risks, the benefits, and all other issues involved. Discuss how they would like to donate, how much you will derive from the feeding, etc.

Another misconception (to my knowledge anyway) is that sanguinarians feed from the donor by biting the neck or other body parts. From all I know, this is quite untrue. Biting is generally quite painful, can cause severe scarring, and is also a very dirty method of feeding. The human mouth has numerous germs and bacteria that can cause infection in the donor. Typically, blood feeding is done by making a small incision on the body of the donor, just deep enough to draw blood, and the blood is collected in a glass or other receptacle and consumed immediately. Preferences vary as to whether the sang or the donor makes the incision. Discuss this with your donor to see what they are more comfortable with. If you absolutely insist on putting your mouth on the wound to feed directly, I suggest a thorough brushing of your teeth beforehand, and a lengthy rinse and gargle with antiseptic mouthwash, but infection of the donor is still a strong possibility. You also need to make sure that your tools and the area of the donor to be cut are very clean. If you use a razor or scalpel, soak it for at least 5 minutes in rubbing alcohol, then wash it in hot water and dry it. Then hold it over a flame on each side for about 3 seconds, wipe it with alcohol again, and dry it one last time. Try to keep your tools sealed in a clean, dry place when not in use, and clean them before and after each use. Always use a very sharp instrument, to minimize pain and damage to the donor. Also, swab the donor area with rubbing alcohol or other antiseptic prior to making the incision. Be sure not to cut your donor too deep! After you have acquired the blood you need, immediately offer your donor a sterile pad or band-aid and some type of antiseptic like Neosporin or Bacitracin. Syringes are also an option for some, but this is to be done with extreme caution as well. If you do not have the proper knowledge, you can seriously injure your donor, and needles must be disposed of immediately after use, and cannot be used again. (Don’t get the wrong idea here, I have never heard of a sanguinarian injecting themselves with the donor blood, but I have heard of a rare few who use this as a method of extraction, then the blood is emptied into some sort of drinking vessel.)

Some people seem to think that sanguinarians need massive amounts of blood from their donors. This is almost always untrue. Only a small amount of blood is needed at one time to provide the necessary energy. If you are a donor and your sang even indicates the desire to make a large cut, a deep cut, or go anywhere near a major vein, you may want to leave… Quickly! Nearly all serious sanguinarians care very much for the comfort and safety of their donors, and would never suggest such things. The feeding process is a bonding of sorts with the sang and the donor, and they will want you to be as safe and comfortable as possible. Also, Sanguinarians are still biologically human, and the human stomach is not designed to digest blood. Too much will make one quite ill.

It is also uncommon for a sanguinarian to feed on animal blood. Most consider animal blood a dirty substance, and also, animals are not able to consent to being fed upon. I have heard some sangs say that animal blood is a viable substitute for human blood though. Those who have said such, indicate that cow blood is best, as it carries fewer diseases than pig or chicken blood. Apparently it also tastes better. Some also consume raw/rare meat when blood is not available. I personally have no experience in this field, but with all the diseases that animals carry, I would be wary of this choice.

There is also the concept of “dead blood”. This refers to the notion that it is not the blood itself that sustains a vampire, but the energy contained within it. If the blood is not consumed immediately, those vital energies die, and the blood is useless. I have heard varying opinions on this. Some believe the blood must be consumed immediately, while others claim the blood is just as effective if it has been properly stored and consumed at a later time. I believe fresh blood is more useful to the person feeding, but this is a debate I will not enter into at this point.

I have also heard of people consuming their own blood. This does no good if you are truly a sanguinarian. All you will succeed in doing is depleting your own energy. Feeding must be done from a source other than oneself in order to be effective.

Overview

In closing, just remember to always be safe. Don’t hurt your donor, or endanger yourself. Blood Feeding is a very dangerous practice, and should not be entered into lightly. Consuming blood will not make you super-human, it will not make you immortal, and it could potentially kill you. Weigh the benefits and risks carefully before feeding for the first time, and if possible, consult with more experienced sanguinarians to gain as much information as possible.
Eventually I will add a section to this site about psychic and elemental feeding, which in this day and age are considered much safer ways of deriving energy. Though some may consider this an unworthy method for “true” vampires, I think it will warrant further discussion in the future.

Related posts:

1. Vampires 101 – Blood Feeding & Safety
2. Psi-Feeding
3. Psy-Vamps: How do you Feed?
4. Ethics of Psychic Vampirism
5. Blood Substitutes for Sanguinarians