Blood feeding is perfectly safe provided the proper precautions are taken:

1)  The drinker of human blood should never drink when his/her mouth is cut or raw, the tongue is burnt, the throat is sore, etc. If there are open wounds or raw spots in the mouth or esophagus before the blood reaches the stomach, you have potential for infection.

2)  Get a clean bill of health from your potential donors whenever possible. It's not foolproof, but seeing a certificate saying that so-and-so has tested negative for everything will help your peace of mind and will keep you from drinking blood indiscriminately. Test yourself for the gamut of social diseases every six months. If you pick something up, don't feed anymore unless you are in a monogamous relationship and your partner is aware of the health risks.

3)  Monogamy is not required, but common sense is. Use latex for all partners other than your primary. Do not exchange fluids (including blood) with anyone other than your primary. If you choose to include another partner, make that partner part of a closed circle (only people within the circle are allowed to share fluids).

4)  Animal blood, like soft or uncooked eggs, is only as toxic as you make it. Yes, there are a lot of bacteria in it, especially if it came from a factory farm rather than a fresh butcher. However, part of the reason people are coming down with salmonella, e coli, etc is that Americans are paranoid about germs. We use antibacterial wash for everything, cook our food until it is burnt to a crisp, and do everything we can to ensure that only the strong bacteria survive and that our systems are too sheltered to have a tolerance to low levels of food poisoning.        If you intend to have any animal blood in your diet, get into the habit of eating rare meat, eggs over easy, etc. Stop using Lysol and Dial Antibacterial. Slowly build up your tolerance to bacteria. You won't be able to withstand a really nasty case of food poisoning, but small amounts of bacteria will cease to bother you. A cast iron stomach is a good thing to have. (Remember that conditioning is something you build slowly, not rush into and acquire instantly.)

5)  When you cut a human donor, keep basic hygiene in mind. Don't re-use razors or exactor blades or needles or any other sharps (you shouldn't use needles and syringes unless you are a trained phlebotomist). Clean off the wound after you feed. Cover it with a bandage or plaster. Don't cut arteries or veins or any other vital area. Don't cut too deeply (practice on yourself before you try it out on someone else!) Know the basics of direct pressure, pressure points, and tourniquets just in case an emergency does happen (tourniquets are a last resort). Don't use your teeth to draw blood if you can help it. Wash the wound off immediately if you do bite and draw blood.

6)  Don't overdo it. Most people cannot drink more than a mouthful of blood without getting violently ill.

7)  Don't suck so hard that you give the inside of your mouth a hickey or blisters. It will negate all the safety precautions you've been trying to take, and besides, it hurts both you and your donor. Suck gently. A shallow cut will bleed for about six minutes which is plenty of time to get what you need. You don't need to make like a Dirt Devil.