Most healthy adults can give blood through the American
Red Cross. You meet the basic eligibility requirements if you:
|
Condition
/ Medication / Travel
|
Can Donate Blood?
|
|
Acitretin
(Soriatane) for psoriasis (within 3 years)
|
No
|
|
Acupuncture
|
Yes
|
|
AIDS or a positive test for HIV
|
No
|
|
Allergies
|
Yes
|
|
Allergy pills
|
Yes
|
|
Antibiotics, if symptom free and course of
medication is complete
|
Yes
|
|
Arthritis
|
Yes
|
|
Aspirin (cannot not donate apheresis platelets
if aspirin was taken within the last 48 hours)
|
Yes
|
|
Asthma - no difficulty at breathing and no
restrictions in normal daily activities at the time of donation.
|
Yes
|
|
Babesiosis
|
No
|
|
Birth control pills
|
Yes
|
|
Blood transfusion in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger or Nigeria since 1977 to present.
|
No
|
|
Blood transfusion in
the United
Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands
and the Isle of Man) since 1980 to present.
|
No
|
|
Blood transfusion within the last 12 months
(excludes transfusions in the United Kingdom and certain African countries).
|
No
|
|
Body
part piercing with unsterile needles
within 12 months
|
No
|
|
Botox
injection
|
Yes
|
|
Breastfeeding
|
Yes
|
|
Cancer– non-melanoma skin cancer or in situ
cancer if excised and healed.
|
Yes
|
|
Cancer –others (such as breast, brain, lung,
prostate, lung cancers) – 1 year after diagnosis or last surgery, last
chemotherapy or last radiotherapy (if treatment was needed)
|
Yes
|
|
Clotting factor concentrates for a bleeding
disorder such as hemophilia.
|
No
|
|
Cold
(active)
|
No
|
|
Common cold with symptoms
|
No
|
|
Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease: Have a blood
relative of a Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease patient. A blood relative is mother, father, sibling, aunt, uncle or
children.
|
No
|
|
Cystic Fibrosis – if no difficulty at time of
donation and no limitations or restrictions in normal daily activities.
|
Yes
|
|
Dermatomyositis
|
Yes
|
|
Diabetes
|
Yes
|
|
Dutasteride (Avodart) for
benign prostatic hyperplasia
within 6 months
|
No
|
|
Ear piercing with unsterile needles within
12 months
|
No
|
|
Epilepsy
or seizures (no episodes in the
last 3 months)
|
Yes
|
|
Etretinate
(Tegison) for psoriasis
|
No
|
|
Exposure to common cold, flu or strep, feel well
and are free of symptoms
|
Yes
|
|
Fainted
once from giving blood
|
Yes
|
|
Fever
|
No
|
|
Finasteride
(Propecia / Proscar) (within 4 weeks)
|
No
|
|
Flu with symptoms
|
No
|
|
Heart attack– after 6 months if normal
activities have been resumed and you are symptom-free
|
Yes
|
|
Hemochromatosis
|
No
|
|
Hepatitis
(viral) at or after age 11
|
No
|
|
High blood pressure - no higher than 180/100 the
day of the donation.
|
Yes
|
|
Household
contact/exposure to hepatitis more than 12 months ago
|
Yes
|
|
Hyperthyroidism
|
Yes
|
|
Hypothyroidism
|
Yes
|
|
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura – if no
recurrence, no splenectomy, adequate platelet count, and not requiring
treatment for the condition.
|
Yes
|
|
Illegal or non-prescription drugs use with
needle, even once.
|
No
|
|
Isotretinoin
(Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Sotret)
for acne (within 4 weeks)
|
No
|
|
Leukemia
|
No
|
|
Lupus, any type
|
Yes
|
|
Lymphoma
|
No
|
|
Malaria—Travel to an area with malaria within the last 12 months
www.newenglandblood.org/giving/malaria.htm
|
No
|
|
Malaria—Moved to the US within the last 3 years after living in a
country with malaria
www.newenglandblood.org/giving/malaria.htm
|
No
|
|
Medications for the prevention of osteoporosis
|
Yes
|
|
Medications for the treatment of high blood cholesterol levels
|
Yes
|
|
Medications for the treatment of hypothyroidism
|
Yes
|
|
Medications for the treatment of migraine
|
Yes
|
|
Medications for the treatment of psychiatric
conditions (depression, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity
disorder, manic depression, etc.)
|
Yes
|
|
Menstrual cramps
|
Yes
|
|
Mononucleosis - exposed but feel well, with no
symptoms, or recovered from mononucleosis
|
Yes
|
|
Mononucleosis with liver involvement (hepatitis
or yellow jaundice)
|
No
|
|
Multiple Myeloma
|
No
|
|
Multiple Sclerosis
|
Yes
|
|
Myasthenia Gravis
|
Yes
|
|
Piercing of an ear or other body part with an
unsterile needle within 12 months
|
No
|
|
Postpartum more than 6 weeks
|
Yes
|
|
Pregnancy
|
No
|
|
Scleroderma
|
Yes
|
|
Sex—For men and women: Received money or drugs for sex since
1977.
|
No
|
|
Sex—For men and women: Within the last 12 months
had sex with a prostitute or anyone else to takes money or drugs or other payment
for sex.
|
No
|
|
Sex—For men: Had sex even once with another male
since 1977
www.newenglandblood.org/giving/msm.htm
|
No
|
|
Sex—For women: Within the last 12 months had a
male sex partner who had sex with another male, even once, since 1977
|
No
|
|
Stroke— if symptom free and no restrictions on
physical activity
|
Yes
|
|
Tattoo
within the
last 12 months with clean needles in a licensed establishment in CT, ME,
RI, or VT. Tattoos done in MA,
NH and NY require a 12 month wait period before donating blood.
|
Yes
|
|
Tattoo within
the last 12 months with unclean needles
|
No
|
|
Tegison for psoriasis
|
No
|
|
Tooth extraction / Oral Surgery— more than 3
days ago
|
Yes
|
|
Travel /
Residence (certain African countries) :
- Lived in, or were born in, Cameroon, Central African
Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger or Nigeria
since 1977; or,
- since 1977, received a blood transfusion or
medical treatment with a blood product in any of these countries;
or,
- had sex with anyone who, since 1977, was born
in or lived in these countries.
|
No
|
|
Travel / Residence (Iraq)
Returned from Iraq within the last 12 months.
|
No
|
|
Travel / Residence (United Kingdom)
Have
spent a (cumulative) total of 3 months or longer between January 1, 1980
and December 31, 1996 in the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom includes
England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle
of Man.
www.newenglandblood.org/giving/story3cjd.htm
|
No
|
|
Travel / Residence (United Kingdom/certain European Countries):
Have
spent a (cumulative) total of 5 years or more between 1980 and present in
Europe or a combination of 5 years or more in the United Kingdom, Europe and Turkey.
European countries include:
·
Albania
·
Austria
·
Belgium
·
Bosnia/Herzegovina
·
Bulgaria
·
Croatia
·
Czech Republic
·
Denmark
·
Finland
·
France
·
Germany
·
Greece
·
Hungary
|
