Are You Eligible to Donate Life-Saving Blood or Blood Components?
Review the information below to determine your eligibility for various types of donation.
Here are the essential qualifications, depending on your donation type. You can choose to donate whole blood or specific components through a process called apheresis or automation. This process allows one or more specific components of blood (red cells, platelets and/or plasma) to be safely removed through a sterile process and the remaining components are safely returned to you through a sterile process. To learn more about the donation types, visit Learn More About Blood Donation.
Safety note: You cannot contract blood borne pathogens such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS by donating blood.
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More Eligibility Information
Review the information below to determine if there are any conditions, and feel free to review the FDA Required Reading to familiarize yourself before your donation. If you have additional questions regarding your eligibility to donate blood, please call our donor advocate at 571-434-3628.
You may not donate blood if you tested positive for or have HIV/AIDS, or participated in events known to increase exposure to the HIV/AIDS virus; tested positive for hepatitis B or C at any time or had hepatitis A after the 11th birthday; Hodgkin’s disease, leukemia, lymphoma or malignant melanoma.
Antibiotic Therapy
No wait after last dose and must be physically well on the day of donation
Asthma
No wait if symptom-free at time of donation and controlled with medication
Blood Pressure
No wait if blood pressure is no lower than 90/50 and no higher than 180/100
Cancer
Basal cell & Squamous cell cancer of the skin acceptable after removed and healed; breast cancer in-situ or melanoma in-situ, and cervical cancer in-situ acceptable after treated and healed
Most non-blood cancers – one year wait after completion of treatment with no recurrence; must be symptom-free and released from doctor’s care
Dental Care
Acceptable immediately after routine procedures (cleanings; fillings); 72-hour wait after root canal or surgery
Diabetes
No wait when controlled by diet or medication
Heart Attack History
One year wait after heart attack – must have been medically evaluated and released; must currently be without any symptoms, limitations or restrictions in normal daily activities and not on medications for heart disease other than aspirin and blood pressure medications
Hemoglobin/Iron
Males 13.0 g/dl; Females 12.5g/dl
Immunizations (shots)
Allergy or flu vaccines are acceptable with no wait period if symptom-free; hepatitis B vaccine – 14 day wait; others 24 hour to four week waits
Malarial Area Travel
One year wait after return from visiting malaria endemic area (for any period less than five years) or three year wait after having lived in an area with malaria risk for five years or more
Piercing (ear/body)
No wait when received in a professional setting with sterile single-use equipment
One-year wait after an accidental needle stick or any other non-sterile skin penetration
Pulse
No lower than 50 beats per minute and no greater than 100 beats per minute
Pregnancy
Six week wait after vaginal delivery or pregnancy loss; six month wait after C-section
Seizures
Three months wait after last seizure and no recurrence and controlled with medication
Surgery
Two to 24 week waits depending on type of surgery. Must have healed surgical wound, resumed normal activity and been released from doctor’s care
Tattoo/Permanent Make-up
No wait when received in a state-regulated facility using sterile single-use equipment. The tattoo site must be properly healed. One-year wait when received in District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wyoming and outside of the United States.
Travel
Visited or lived in any country with malaria risk (please see “Malarial Area Travel” above)
European Travel/Residence
You may not donate blood or platelets at this time if your visits or residency matches or exceeds the total accumulated time during the stated periods in the countries listed below.
From 1980 to the present, if you have spent time that equals five years or more in the following European countries:
- Albania
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Finland
- France (including its overseas departments (e.g. Martinique and others))
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Republic of Ireland
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Montenegro
- Netherlands (Holland)
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal (including Azores)
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain (including Canary Islands and Spanish North African territories)
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- Yugoslavia (or the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
From 1980 through 1996, if you have spent time that equals three months or more in the United Kingdom:
- England
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
- Wales
- The Isle of Man
- The Channel Islands
- Gibraltar
- The Falkland Islands
Military Travel Deferral – total time of six months or more associated with a military base
- From 1980 – 1990 in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands (Holland)
- From 1980 – 1996 in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy, and Greece
Questions?
If you have additional questions regarding your eligibility to donate blood, please call our donor advocate at 571-434-3628.