From the Red Cross...

Blood Donation Eligibility Guidelines

General
To give blood, you must be healthy, at least 17 years old, and weigh at least 110
pounds.

Donor Information

The most needed blood types are O+, O-, AB- and B-. These blood types are
absolutely critical.

If you have a donor card (i.e., know your blood type and have given before), go to the
blood drives!

If you have one of the critical blood types but do not have a donor card, go to the
blood drives anyway!

If you do not know your blood type and do not have a donor card, the Red Cross is
asking you to go to blood drives next week so as not to confuse the system. More
screening (and thus, more time) is required for new donors. You may also call for an
appointment at 1-800-GIVELIFE (1-800-448-3543).

If you have given blood in the last 56 days (8 weeks), you cannot give blood again,
even if you have one of the critical blood types.

Specific
AIDS
Do not give blood to get an AIDS test. Please see your own doctor or local health
department to get tested. We are required to report all positive HIV results to public
health officials.

If you have any reason to believe you have AIDS, do not donate blood.
You risk harming a vulnerable patient who needs blood transfusions. With new,
advanced tests, the risk of transmitting HIV through a blood transfusion is 1 in 1.5
million.

However, before blood is drawn, we must ensure that a donor does not display the
high risk behaviors associated with certain infectious diseases. Do not give blood if
you are at risk for getting and spreading the AIDS virus. According to the Food and
Drug Administration, you are at risk if:
 you are a male who has had sex with another male since 1977, even once
you have ever used a needle, even once, to take any illegal drugs
or steroids
you have taken clotting factor concentrates for a bleeding disorder such
as hemophilia
you have ever had a positive test for AIDS (HIV) or AIDS antibody or
antigen
you have AIDS or one of its symptoms, which include:
o unexplained weight loss (10 pounds or more in less than 2 months)
o night sweats
o blue or purple spots on or under the skin
o long-lasting white spots or unusual sores in your mouth
o lumps in your neck, armpits, or groin that last more than a month
o fever higher than 99 degrees that lasts more than 10 days
o diarrhea lasting over a month
o persistent cough and shortness of breath
you have had sex with any person described above in the last 12 months
you have been given money or drugs for sex since 1977
you were born in or lived in (for more than one year) Cameroon, Central
African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger, or
Nigeria since 1977
o you received blood transfusions or medical treatment with a blood
product in any of these countries since 1977
o you had sex with anyone who was born in or lived in any of these
countries since 1977

AIDS Exposure
defer 12 months if health care worker exposed to blood of patients with
HIV infection by a needle stick or open wound

Allergy
defer temporarily if breathing difficulty is present

Asthma

accept if controlled

Blood Pressure
 accept with or without medications if blood pressure is within American
Red Cross limits on day of donation

Blood Transfusion

defer for 12 months

Cancer

accept:
o if 5 years from date of diagnosis, surgery or last radiation
treatment
o if no recurrence
o if no chemotherapy
o some types of skin cancer
defer:
o leukemia or lymphoma
o recurrence of same cancer (except squamous or basal cell)

Cold, Flu or Sore Throat

defer temporarily for active cold or flu symptoms such as fever, sore
throat, productive cough, or general fatigue on day of donation

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)

defer indefinitely if at increased risk, a history of, diagnosed, or if

any relatives have been diagnosed
see Travel Outside of U. S. section (bottom of page)

Dental

accept teeth cleaning, scaling, root canal, fillings and tooth extraction if
no infection present
defer 3 days for oral surgery, abscesses or infection

Diabetes

accept two weeks after initial dosage of insulin or change of dosage

 defer indefinitely if, since 1980, received an injection of bovine (beef)
insulin made from cattle from the United Kingdom
Donation Intervals (for whole blood)
accept every 8 weeks (or every 56 days)
accept 3 days after routine plateletpheresis
accept 28 days after routine plasmapheresis

Epilepsy

accept if seizure-free for 3 months with or without medications

Heart Disease/Surgery

evaluated individually, must have no restrictions on physical activity, be

symptom-free and on no medication for heart disease except for aspirin
6-month wait after heart attack if above criteria met
accept musculoskeletal (non-cardiac) chest pain
6-month deferral for non-diagnosed heart related chest pain
accept pacemaker if pulse and above criteria met

Hemoglobin

each donor's hemoglobin is tested at the blood collection site

if deferred, deferral is only temporary and donor may try again next day

Hepatitis/Unexplained Jaundice

defer indefinitely hepatitis/yellow jaundice or liver disease of

unknown origin on or after age 11
defer indefinitely if ever used a needle, even once to take any illegal
drugs or steroids
accept jaundice or hepatitis associated with birth, medications, bile
duct obstruction, or hepatitis before age 11
defer confirmed positive HBsAg, repeat reactive anti-HCV or anti-HBc
at any age

Hepatitis Exposure
 defer 12 months for close contact with hepatitis patient (close contact
is defined as sexual contact or sharing same household, kitchen,
and/or toilet facilities) or as membership group, e. g. dormitory, in which
multiple cases of hepatitis have occurred
defer 12 months someone who is a current inmate of a
correctional institution (including jails, prisons or detention centers) or
someone who has been incarcerated for more than 72 consecutive hours
during previous 12 months or someone who has been in a chronic long-
term psychiatric/mental institution for more than 28 days
defer 12 months following blood transfusion, blood injections,
tattoo, non-sterile needle stick/body piercing or blood contact with open
wound, non-intact skin or mucous membrane
defer 12 months following human bite that resulted in a wound which
broke the skin
accept casual contact (no contact with blood or body fluids)
defer 12 months for intranasal use of cocaine or any street drug
accept health care workers working with hepatitis/HIV positive
patients providing:
o there is no contact with blood through nonsterile
percutaneous innoculation (needle stick), an open wound, non-
intact skin or mucous membrane
accept sterile body piercing

Immunization/Vaccination

defer 4 weeks for German Measles (Rubella), MMR (Measles,

Mumps and Rubella) and Chicken Pox vaccine (Varivax)
defer 3 weeks for exposure to the following (unless immunized or had
the disease):
o Red Measles
o German Measles
o Chicken Pox
o Mumps
defer 3 weeks for exposure to meningitis
defer 2 weeks for Red Measles (Rubeola), Mumps, Oral Polio, Small
Pox and Yellow Fever vaccine
defer 7 days for hepatitis B vaccine when given for protection and
not exposure (for exposure see Hepatitis Exposure section)
accept hepatitis A vaccine
 accept most other immunizations/ vaccinations, e.g. flu, tetanus,
providing donor is symptom-free and fever-free

Infectious Mononucleosis

accept if recovered

Malaria

defer 3 years after last symptom

see Travel Outside of U.S. section

Medications

defer indefinitely for Pituitary-Derived Human Growth Hormone

and Tegison
defer 3 years from last dose of Soriatane
defer 8 weeks for injections of radioactive material
defer 4 weeks for Accutane, Proscar, Propecia & Gold therapy
defer 2 weeks for any change in insulin dose
defer for 2 days from last dose of oral or intramuscular antibiotics
or antifungal unless taking for chronic condition
defer for 2 days from last dose of antivirals

Organ/Tissue Transplants

defer 12 months for allogeneic organ or tissue transplants, including

dental powder
defer if received dura mater transplant
accept autologous transplants if only autologous received

Pregnancy

defer while pregnant

defer 6 weeks after uncomplicated third trimester or term delivery
or caesarean section
defer 12 months if delivery required a blood transfusion
accept nursing mothers
Serious Illness

donors will be individually evaluated

defer indefinitely Kaposi's sarcoma, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus,
Chagas Disease, Babesiosis, Lyme Disease, and Leishmaniasis

Sickle Cell

defer for sickle cell disease

accept for sickle cell trait

Skin Disease and Rash

donors will be individually evaluated

phlebotomy site must be free of rash/skin disease

Surgery

accept history of recent surgery if:

o underlying illness does not disqualify donor
o stitches/staples dissolved or removed
o wound is healed
o donor has resumed normal activity and is feeling well
accept minor cuts requiring stitches/staples after 48 hours if no signs
of infection

Syphilis/Gonorrhea

defer if have had or have been treated for in last 12 months

defer if positive test for syphilis in past 12 months
documentation of treatment may be required

Travel Outside of U.S.

defer 12 months for travel into areas with a risk of malaria

defer 3 years after having lived for 1 year or more in a malarial-risk area
defer indefinitely if during 1980 - 1996 spent a total time that adds up to
6 months or more in the United Kingdom (England, Northern
Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Channel Islands)
 see AIDS section