This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The medical pointers here may not be accurate and are not exhaustive.
Never do something (e.g. apply a lancet) that you're not professionally trained to do.

MEETING SAFELY

While talking online, do some sleuthing online for any red flags and don't give out any personal information.

It's important that you are familiar with each other's expectations. The first time (at least) you meet should be in a public area during busy hours (e.g. shopping mall, cafe) and you shouldn't allow yourself to be alone with them (e.g. riding in their car). When meeting people for the first time in public, get to know them and be on the safe side.

Safe Calls

When meeting with a stranger, whenever possible, you should appoint someone you know to bail you out if you become uncomfortable there. Let them know where you're going and when you should be back, and keep them up to date if any changes arise.

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FEEDING SAFELY: FOR SANGUINARIANS

Feeding is most dangerous for sanguinarians, for both the sanguinarian and donor with risks such as:

  • Injury
  • Infection
  • STDs
  • Legal Issues
  • Visible Scarring

Both parties must take proper care to minimize any risk of harm to each other.

The donor (and sometimes the sanguinarian also) must be screened

The donor should be screened regularly. The blood test should confirm that:

  • No STDs are present
  • The donor is healthy
  • The donor has a reasonable Red Blood Cell (RBC) and Haemoglobin (Hb) count

If the sanguinarian is feeding via direct mouth contact over an incision, even though it’s not recommended due to increased chance of infection, they should also be screened for STDs.

Keep in mind RBC and Hb tests are especially important, as regular, large donations can lower these levels and jeopardize their health. For larger donations, it’s generally recommended that ~4-6 weeks is maintained between donations but regular RBC and Hb tests should be carried out regardless.

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Drugs & Allergies

STDs aren’t the only risks in donated blood. Medications, drugs and foods that the donor has recently consumed will be in their blood. Always ask the donor what they’ve taken or consumed recently, especially if you have medicinal/food allergies.

Safety First

The sanguinarian should be trained in first aid, have equipment ready and be ready to apply it should something arise. Ask the person who brought the kit to inspect and list the contents to ensure there is sufficient equipment. Ideally, there’s benefit to having both parties trained in first aid but it’s especially important for the sanguinarian as it’s the donor who is at risk of injury.

Depending on where you are, there should be a 2-3 day first aid course in your area for relatively cheap. They go through all the basics and the resulting certificate will look good on resume!

Infections

Ensure your equipment is sterilized every time before use. Consider sterilizing via autoclave, Ethylene Oxide or something of the same level of effectiveness. If sterilization resources aren't available to you, consider using disposable equipment which comes sterilized.
Note that some sanguinarians believe they can “sterilize” their equipment via lighter. This does NOT sufficiently sterilize and may even leave soot on your equipment. The wound should be immediately disinfected after use. Keep an eye out for infections to the wound (see Bloodletting for New Donors, page 18). If any signs of infection or unusual pain are present, seek professional medical care.

Feeding

There are many ways to feed. The most common being lancet, blade or venipuncture. All pose significant risk of injury or even death if not handled correctly. You must be adequately trained for the equipment which you’ll be using. Look for a course in your area for training.

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Consuming

Be mindful of how long blood keeps for. If you’re drinking from blood containers (usually used with venipuncture), be aware of what chemicals are used for that type of container and what its effects are.

See: Please note that some researchers claim that consumption of EDTA is unsafe (click here for more info). It, at the very least, will cause chelation in the blood of the one consuming it.

Legal Problems

What’s legal in one area may not be in another. Ensure that feeding, along with the method of which you’re doing it, is legal. Keep in mind that any form of blood collection is often illegal depending on where you’re located, and consent to harm, even in written form, may not always be a valid defense.

FEEDING SAFELY
FOR PSIS

Psi feeding also comes with its risks. Please note that only safety will be discussed here. Information on feeding, shielding etc. can be found elsewhere.

Over-Feeding

Over-feeding occurs when the psi-feeder has drawn too much energy from a donor, in too short a time. The symptoms of over-feeding can range from mild to severe so it’s important to be aware of it.

Healing

After donating, a donor’s energy levels will naturally restore over time. Normally it won’t take very long but if over-feeding has occurred, the healing period dramatically lengthens. This can cause “Sympathetic Vampirism” (see Symptoms). To ensure your donor recovers quickly, it’s important to find a balance.

Symptoms

  • Sympathetic Vampirism – This occurs when a donor has been low on energy for an extended duration. They may experience the same symptoms that psis experience when low on energy, and due to these similarities, they may incorrectly presume that they’ve been turned. When given time to heal, however, these symptoms should fade.
  • Mixed Thoughts & Emotions – This symptom is for the feeders. Due to the nature of psi-feeding, some may experience a connection of emotions & thoughts during the feed. This is normal but if you start to become unsure with what thoughts & emotions are yours and what aren’t, you may have overfed. This symptom should dissipate once feeding has ceased.

    • Feeding Control

    One method to prevent over-feeding is to not fill up at the first chance. To use an analogy, eat more smaller meals rather than one big meal. Doing this and taking breaks while feeding helps you to remain in control.

    You Are What You Eat

    Be mindful that when feeding from intoxicated individuals, you may experience and exhibit the same symptoms of said intoxication.

    Don’t Stick Your Teeth in Crazy

    With some psi-feeders, feeding from a mentally ill or psychotic individual can sometimes exacerbate their symptoms. While this won’t apply to everyone, it’s something to consider. As always, communicate with your donor.

    Also be careful when feeding from an unbalanced individual to “help” them (a special type of feeding). This kind of feeding may lead to deeper problems if you’re unsure what you’re doing.

    Dangers in Feeding Types

    There are many types of psi-feeding, including: Ambient, tantric, contact, proximity etc.

    A general rule of thumb is: The more targeted your feeding is, the more room for damage.

    Therefore, if you’re targeting their core, you need to take extreme caution not to cause too much damage but feeding ambiently holds little to no risk.

    CONTRIBUTORS

    • Masticina Akicta - Assistance with the psi section.
    • Members of "The Red Cellar" Discord - Assistance with the Sanguinarian section.
    • Members of "The Midnight Society" Discord - General assistance.