Eligibility
Blood donation eligibility is determined to protect the health of both donors and patients. Most healthy individuals can donate, and eligibility is confirmed through a brief health screening on the day of donation. Below are the general guidelines.
You May Be Eligible If You:
Are in general good health and feeling well on the day of donation
Are 16 years of age or older (Donors 16 or 17 must provide a signed Parental Consent Form)
Weigh at least 110 pounds
Have blood pressure below 180/100 mmHg
Have a pulse between 50 and 100 beats per minute
Meet minimum hemoglobin levels:
- Males: 13.0 g/dL or greater
- Females: 12.5 g/dL or greater
Medications
Medications That May Affect Eligibility
- Aspirin and other NSAIDs: T – Acceptable 48 hours after last dose
(Applies to platelet donors only) - Proscar (Finasteride): T – 1 month after last dose
- Propecia (Finasteride): T – 1 month after last dose
- Avodart (Dutasteride): T – 6 months after last dose
- Accutane / Isotretinoin (Amnesteem, Claravis, Sotret): T – 1 month after last dose
- Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG): T – 12 months after last injection
- Soriatane (Acitretin): T – 3 years after last dose
- Growth hormone from human pituitary glands: Permanent disqualification.
- Insulin from cows (bovine insulin): Permanent disqualification.
- Tegison (Etretinate): Permanent disqualification.
Medical History
Many medical conditions are acceptable as long as they are well controlled, symptoms are stable, and you are feeling well on the day of donation. Examples include:
- Diabetes
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Osteoarthritis
- Ulcer disease
- Chronic bronchitis
- Fibromyalgia
- Hypertension
- Parkinson’s disease
- Seizure disorder (no seizures in the past 6 months)
- Benign (non-cancerous) tumors
You may also be eligible if you have:
- Fully recovered from a heart attack or stroke and do not require medication (such as nitroglycerin) to control chest pain
- A past history of cancer, provided treatment was completed more than five years ago, there has been no recurrence, and there are no activity restrictions
- Exceptions include common skin cancers (basal cell and squamous cell) and certain “in situ” cancers
- Fully recovered from successful surgical procedures, including cardiac surgery or angioplasty
The following conditions or activities may result in temporary (T) or permanent (P) ineligibility, in accordance with federal regulations:
- Travel or residence outside the U.S.: T or P, depending on location and duration
- Recent vaccination: T (0–4 weeks depending on vaccine)
- Cancer diagnosis within the past 5 years (exceptions apply): T
- History of leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma: P
- Tattoo or body piercing within the past 12 months*: T
- Blood transfusion within the past 12 months: T
- Accidental blood exposure (e.g., needle stick) within the past year: T
- Active infection or current antibiotic therapy: T
- Treatment for syphilis or gonorrhea within the past year: T
- Recent seizures: T
- Current pregnancy: T
- Ongoing or unstable heart disease requiring medical treatment: T or P
- Medical history of viral hepatitis: P
- (Clinical hepatitis or jaundice before age 11 may be acceptable)
- HIV infection, AIDS, or high risk for HIV exposure: P
- History of non-prescribed intravenous drug use: P
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/CFIDS/ME): P
*If a tattoo was applied in a state-regulated facility using sterile needles and single-use ink, there is no deferral. Piercings performed with a single-use piercing gun do not require deferral.
Individual Donor Assessment (FDA Guidance)
The FDA has updated blood donation guidelines to use an individual donor assessment, eliminating the previous MSM (men who have sex with men) policy. Eligibility is now based on specific behaviors that may increase the risk of transmitting infections through blood, not on gender or sexual orientation.
Individuals who were deferred under the previous MSM policy may now be eligible to donate once three months have passed since their last MSM-related deferral, provided all other eligibility criteria are met.
How is a new sexual partner defined?
A new sexual partner is someone you are having sex with for the first time, or someone you had sex within the past, stopped, and then had sex with again within the last three months.
Donation eligibility related to sexual activity applies equally to all individuals, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Anyone who has had new or multiple sexual partners within the last three months and has had anal sex during that same timeframe will be asked to wait three months from the date of last anal sex before donating blood.
Individuals who have had anal sex in the past three months may still be eligible to donate if they did not have sex with a new partner or with multiple partners during that period.
How do PrEP and PEP affect blood donation?
If you have taken medication to prevent HIV infection, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), you are asked to wait three months after your last oral dose or two years after your last injectable dose before donating blood. These waiting periods are required because these medications may interfere with HIV detection during blood screening.
What if I have taken medication to treat HIV?
Individuals who have ever taken medication to treat HIV infection, known as antiretroviral therapy (ART), are permanently deferred from donating blood. While these medications can suppress the virus, they do not fully eliminate it, and donated blood could still transmit HIV infection to a patient.
Our Commitment to Donor and Patient Safety
The Central California Blood Center and the FDA support individuals making responsible choices for their health and the health of our communities. The FDA continues ongoing research and evaluation related to transfusion safety, including the impact of HIV prevention medications. The Central California Blood Center does not encourage anyone to stop taking prescribed medications to donate blood.
