- Blood donation starts with a finger prick to help ensure you qualify.drawing blood image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
Giving blood is an excellent way to support people in need, even if you don't have the means to do so financially. In some areas, you may also be able to make money by donating blood. Whatever your motives, it is important to understand blood donation regulations before you begin. These regulations ensure that you stay safe during the donation process and that your blood can be safely used to help patients in need. - Donors most commonly donate whole blood, which you can do every 56 days, according to the American Red Cross. If you donate platelets or plasma, you can return to donate again sooner, after seven days and 28 days, respectively. Double red cell donors can return to give blood every 112 days, up to three times per year.
- Blood donors must be at least 17 years old, though some states allow younger donors to give blood with parental consent. Whole blood donors must weigh at least 110 pounds, with additional requirements in some states for donors still in high school or 18 years old and younger. Double red cell donors have more strict requirements. Males must be at least 5'1'' and 130 pounds, while females must be at least 5'5" and 150 pounds.
- You must be healthy in order to give blood. This means that you feel well and can perform activities in a normal way. If you have chronic conditions, you might still qualify as "healthy" under American Red Cross regulations, as long as you're being treated and your condition is well controlled. You can call your local Red Cross chapter to find out if you qualify if you suffer from a specific condition.
- Some patients give blood to use in their own surgeries in the future. This process is called autologous blood donation, and it requires you to first obtain a medical prescription. In general, the regulations for giving blood to yourself are less strict, though laws vary from state to state.
- Certain lifestyle choices may disqualify you from donating blood. You're ineligible if you're pregnant, and you must wait at least six weeks after giving birth. If you live in a state where tattoo facilities are not regulated or you received a piercing and there is a question of whether the needle was sterile, you must wait 12 months to give blood. If you've used non-prescription IV drugs in the past, you're not eligible to donate blood, as there are concerns about HIV and hepatitis.
- Certain medication may affect your eligibility. If you're using antibiotics, you may have to wait at least 10 days after you complete the course of treatment. Certain kinds of insulin may also disqualify you, and there is a waiting period for some other treatments, like human growth hormone and hepatitis B immune globuline. Most over-the-counter and prescription drugs do not affect your eligibility. If you've recently been immunized or vaccinated, you must wait two to eight weeks to donate in most cases, though vaccinations for HPV, meningitis, influenza and tetanus do not affect eligibility unless you have a fever or other symptoms.
- If you've traveled to or lived in a country where malaria is found, you must wait one to three years before donating blood. There's also a 12-month waiting period if you've traveled to Iraq, and you are not eligible if you've spent long amounts of time in Western Africa or countries where mad cow disease is found.
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