Donor Eligibility Information

To ensure that you are properly identified in American Red Cross Blood Services records, as of January 30, 2004, all volunteer blood donors will be required to provide identification before giving blood at any blood donation center or blood drive.

The preferred identification is a photo identification card, such as a driver's license or government-issued ID, or an American Red Cross blood donor card.

For more information, please call 1-800-BLOOD or log onto www.redcrosslife.org.

AGE: You must be 17 years of age or older
HEIGHT: weigh at least 105 pounds
HEALTH: be in generally good health and feeling well the day of donation
FREQUENCY: donors can give every 56 days (you can give on day 56)

Donors should eat 3 to 4 hours before donating.

COMMON MEDICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT DONOR ELIGIBLITY:

ALLERGIES:
Allergies are generally not a cause for defferral, unless you are currently experiencing symptoms.
BLOOD TRANSFUSION:
You must wait 12 months after receiving blood to donate, unless you received ONLY your own blood.
COLDS:
You may not donate if you have a cold, a flu, sore throat or other type of infection.
DENTAL WORK:
You may donate immediatley after having a tooth pulled or 3 days after oral surgery as long as you are not taking any medication and there is no infection. There is no waiting period for fillings or cleanings.
DIABETES:
You may donate even if on insulin, provided the insulin treatment has been established for at least two weeks.
EPILEPSY:
You may donate if you have been seizure free to three months with or without medication.
HEPATITIS:
If you have had hepatitis on or after age 11, you may not donate blood.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE:
You may donate if you are taking medication to control your blood pressure if your blood pressure is acceptable on the day of donation. A past history of high blood pressure will not defer you.
IMMUNIZATIONS:
You may donate if you have recently received a routine flu shot or pneumonia shot.
MEDICATIONS:
Most medications do not interfere with donating blood: however, you will need to check with the nurse at the site.

Together, we can save a life

 

NURSING MOTHERS:     A nursing mother may donate blood.

PREGNANCY:     A woman may donate blood 6 weeks after a normal delivery, abortion, miscarriage or caesarian section, if released from physician’s care and returned to normal activity.

TATTOOS:     You must wait 12 months to donate blood after being tattooed.

ACUPUNCTURE BODY PIERCING:     You must wait 12 months to donate blood after acupuncture or body piercing if the needle has been previously used or the donor is unsure if the needle was previously used.

ACCIDENTAL NEEDLESTICK:     You must wait 12 months to donate blood after an accidental needlestick or contact with someone else's blood.

PLEASE CALL THE COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, OR QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING (1-800-54BLOOD):

-CANCER
-HEART DISEASE
-TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
-MEDICATIONS
-SURGERY

PLEASE DO NOT GIVE BLOOD IF YOU:

- Have been raped in the last twelve months

- Have taken street drugs, by needle, even once

- Had or been treated for syphilis or gonorrhea in the last twelve months

- Have at any time:

     - Taken a blood clotting factor for bleeding disorder such as hemophilia
     - Tested positive for HIV (AIDS)

- Have in the past 12 months:

     - Been a sex partner of an IV drug user or someone who has received clotting factor, such as hemophiliac
     - Been a sex partner of anyone with AIDS or anyone with a positive test for HIV (AIDS)
     - Resided in a psychiatric hospital for greather than 28 days
     - Been held in a correctional institute, (prison, detention center) for more than 72 hours
     - Resided in a halfway house or home for the mentally retarded for greater than 7 days

- Have, at any time since 1977, been given money or drugs for sex

- Male donors

     - Had sex with a female prostitute in the last twelve months
     - Had sex, even once with another male since 1977

- Female donors - in the last 12 months have you

     - Had sex, even once, with a male who has had sex with another male since 1977
     - Had sex with a male or female prostitute