Youre Eligible to Donate Blood Again Email

Key takeaways:

To donate blood, you lot should be in good health, at least 17 years former, and not take an agile claret infection.
You lot will be asked questions about your health and travel history before you lot donate blood. Your blood will also be tested to brand certain information technology's rubber for donation.
Donor blood is used to save the lives of endless people. Trauma victims, mothers in childbirth, surgical patients, and people with cancer are just some of many people who may demand donor blood.

Have y'all ever considered donating blood? Maybe you accept, merely yous're worried you lot won't exist eligible. After all, a quick online search seems to yield pages of reasons why you may not be able to donate. Should yous just assume yous won't authorize to donate and throw in the towel?

Such rigid regulations around blood donation may seem like a hassle, but it'due south key to making certain that donated claret is safe for those receiving it. And, if you are eligible to donate blood — which 38 per centum of Americans are — you'll be able to make a life-saving souvenir to a swain man in need.

Most people donate whole blood — but you tin can also donate specific parts of your blood, like platelets (the jail cell fragments that cause clotting) or plasma (the liquid that contains antibodies and clotting factors). In this article, we'll focus on whole blood donation and give y'all a breakdown of who tin can and tin't donate and what to look if you choose to donate blood.

Who can donate blood?

According to the American Cherry Cross, yous can donate blood under the following circumstances:

You are not feeling sick and are in good wellness.
You are 17 years of age. In some states, you can donate claret if you lot are 16 years erstwhile and take parental consent.
Yous counterbalance at least 110 lbs.
You take non donated blood in the past 56 days.

Y'all can too donate claret if y'all accept:

Asthma if it'south well treated, with no current shortness of breath
Diabetes if information technology's well treated with diet and/or medications
Centre disease if you have not had a modify in your heart condition for three months
Tattoos and piercings, as long every bit three months have passed since you have had them washed

Who cannot donate blood?

At that place are certain health conditions, life circumstances, and travel experiences that hateful you lot cannot donate blood. Nosotros'll run through those hither.

Full general health issues that won't let people to donate blood

Having a fever (above 99.5°F) or an acute infection at the time of donation, or feeling unwell, having a cold, flu, or trouble breathing
Pregnancy
High claret pressure level reading (acme number above 180, or lesser number above 100)
Low blood pressure reading (top number below 90, or bottom number beneath 50)
Cancer of the blood (leukemia or lymphoma) or sickle cell disease
Receiving a tissue or organ transplant of living beast tissue or a dura matter (brain covering) transplant
Hemochromatosis
AIDS, having ever had a positive HIV test or symptoms similar persistent fevers, nighttime sweats, or cough
Recent exposure to or a history of hepatitis B or C, malaria, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Illness, babesiosis, Chagas affliction, Ebola, or Zika
Active tuberculosis
Syphilis or gonorrhea in the by 3 months

Life circumstances that hateful you tin can't donate blood

History of injection drug employ, or using needles to take any drugs that were not prescribed by your healthcare provider
Incarceration for more than 72 consecutive hours during the previous 12 months
Having had sex with another male in the final 3 months, if you're a male
Taken or given money or other payment for sexual practice in the last three 3 months
Sexual contact with anyone who uses drug intravenously (through an 4)

Travel experiences that mean y'all tin't donate blood

If you lot have traveled to a country with a loftier hazard of malaria within the by 3 months, y'all can't donate blood.

You can refer to the American Red Cross eligibility criteria for more data.

What medications will prevent you lot from donating claret?

Most over-the-counter (OTC) medications will not prevent you from donating blood. If you accept prescription medications, check out this listing from the American Red Cross to see if you can nonetheless donate blood.

You Tin can'T donate blood if you lot take the following medications:

Blood thinners
Acne and psoriasis medications
Prostate and hair loss medications

You Tin donate blood if you take the following medications:

Aspirin
Oral contraceptives
Blood pressure level medications
Insulin

Never stop medications prescribed past your healthcare provider in order to donate blood. It'south always a good idea to proceed your healthcare team in the loop if y'all are planning to donate claret.

Can you lot donate blood if yous received the COVID-19 vaccine?

In short, yeah. If you took the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA based) or Johnson and Johnson'due south COVID shot (inactivated virus), y'all can donate blood. If you received another kind of COVID vaccine, or were vaccinated outside of the U.S., ask the donor site if you still qualify.

What is Creutzfeldt-Jakob Affliction and why does it matter for blood donors?

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) is an infectious brain disease that can pass from animals to humans. The equivalent affliction in cows is called "Mad Cow Disease." vCJD can rarely exist passed through blood transfusions. Since at that place is no exam for vCJD, at that place are certain restrictions around who can donate blood in society to prevent possible transmission.

These include:

If you were in the UK for three months or more between January 1, 1980 through December 31, 1996
If you spent 5 years or more in France or Ireland from January 1, 1980 through Dec 31, 2001
If you had blood transfusion in the UK, France, or Ireland from Jan 1, 1980 to present

You tin detect full details about vCJD and blood donation here.

How do I fix to donate blood?

First, go online and find a drive. You lot will enter your location, and a list of donation locations volition announced. You will be able to cull a time slot, and make an appointment to donate blood online.

Some tips for getting prepare to requite claret include:

Getting a good night'southward slumber
Eating healthy, well-balanced meals as much as possible
Drinking more h2o (16 oz) the morning of your blood donation
Taking your medications as usual (if you accept any), including your blood pressure medications
Making sure you have a government issued ID (driver'southward license, passport)
Knowing your travel history – if you accept traveled outside the U.S. in the past 3 years, y'all can fill out a travel form ahead of time and bring it with you lot to your appointment.

What to expect when donating blood

When y'all get to the donation location, y'all volition exist asked to:

Give your name and address, and show a regime issued ID.
Fill out a questionnaire that asks you well-nigh your general health and travel history.
Take your blood pressure, pulse, and temperature measured. Remember, you will non be able to donate blood if you take a fever, or an abnormal pulse or claret pressure reading.
Take your hemoglobin measured, or the protein in ruddy blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. Your finger will be pricked with a sterile needle and your hemoglobin will be measured. If your hemoglobin is too low, you will be unable to donate blood.

If you meet the criteria, you're prepare to donate blood! The procedure consists of the following steps:

A site on your arm is cleaned with an booze pad.
A sterile needle is placed into your arm vein. This will feel like a quick compression.
Y'all volition sit and relax while a pint of your blood collects in a bag, which will last for well-nigh 8-10 minutes.
When your donation is complete, the needle is removed from your arm and is bandaged.
Y'all will rest for nigh 10-15 minutes, while you lot savour a refreshment. This allows your body to adjust to the very slight decrease in your blood volume.
You lot can expect your donation to accept about one hour.

What happens after blood donation?

Your claret donation will be taken to a laboratory and volition be tested for several things — the kickoff is claret type. The dissimilar claret types are: A, B, AB, and O. All blood types are eligible for blood donation.

Your blood will likewise exist tested for whatever potential infections such as:

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
HIV (i and two)
HTLV (Homo T-Lymphotropic Virus Types I and Two (HTLV)
Syphilis
West Nile Virus
Zika Virus
Chagas disease

If your blood is positive to any of the above diseases, y'all volition be notified by the donation eye, and your claret will non be able to be used for donation.

The bottom line

If y'all're thinking virtually becoming a blood donor, consider taking that side by side step: every unit of measurement of blood can relieve a life. Despite what it may seem similar, donating claret is a quick and prophylactic process. To be canonical as a donor, you'll need to provide details about your health, medication, life, and travel history. And, exist prepared for some boosted tests, as well. All donated blood is screened for blood type and bloodborne infections like hepatitis B and C, HIV, syphilis, and zika.

References

American Cerise Cross. (2021). Claret components.

American Cherry-red Cross. (2021). Common concerns.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more almost how nosotros ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased past reading our editorial guidelines.

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