Your precious blood donation is appreciated if-
- You are aged between 18 and 65.
- Your weight is at least 50 kg. In some countries, donors of whole blood donations should weigh at least 45 kg to donate 350 ml ± 10%.
- You must be in good health at the time you donate.
- You cannot donate if you have a cold, flu, sore throat, cold sore, stomach bug, or any other infection.
- If you have recently had a tattoo or body piercing you cannot donate for 6 months from the date of the procedure. If the body piercing was performed by a registered health professional and any inflammation has settled completely, you can donate blood after 12 hours.
- If you have visited the dentist for a minor procedure you must wait 24 hours before donating; for major work wait a month.
- You must not donate blood if you do not meet the minimum hemoglobin level for blood donation: Female blood donors must have a hemoglobin level of at least 12.5 g/dL and male blood donors must have a hemoglobin level of at least 13.0 g/dL.
- A test will be administered at the donation site.
You must not give blood if-
- You engaged in “at-risk” sexual activity in the past 12 months.
- Have ever had a positive test for HIV (AIDS virus).
- Have ever injected recreational drugs.
- It is not advisable to donate blood while breastfeeding. Following childbirth, the deferral period is at least 9 months (as for pregnancy) and until 3 months after your baby is significantly weaned.
