Blood Donor Requirements
Donor health requirements are subject to change as Federal and State regulations change and new information becomes available.
If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, call: 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543).
In order to donate blood donors MUST:
- Be at least 16 years of age, and have with you when you donate, a completed Red Cross Parental Consent form (may be picked up at the Tompkins County American Red Cross). Or 17 years of age, no parental consent required.
- Weigh at least 110 pounds.
- Be in good health.
- Have not donated blood in the past 56 days.
Volunteers with the following conditions CAN donate blood:
- Allergies
- Antibiotics (If medicine is to prevent infection and donor is symptom free). Or donor has taken the last dosage (even if on the day of donation) and infection is gone.
- Birth Control Pills
- Blood Transfusions (12 months after receiving blood, blood products, tissue or organ transplants, unless only autogeneic ("self") blood products received.
- Body Piercing (12 months after body piercing; no restrictions if by sterile procedure).
- Born Outside the USA (Emigrants from areas of malaria risk must wait 3 years to donate).
- Cancer (No restrictions for basal and squamous cell skin cancer and carcinoma in situ of cervix only if excised and completely healed).
- Dental Work (No restrictions for cleanings, fillings, extractions or root canal).
- Diabetes (If on insulin for more than 2 weeks and stable).
- Flu vaccination, providing the donor is symptom free and fever free
- Hepatitis B Vaccine (7-day wait if taken for preventive purposes; 12 month wait if taken for exposure).
- High Blood Pressure (No restrictions if on medication, as long as blood pressure is within limits).
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccination (4 weeks after immunization).
- Menstruation
- Mononucleosis (If symptom-free and completely recovered).
- Pregnancy (6 weeks after delivery of a third trimester miscarriage).
- Tattoo (12 months after tattoo).
Travel Outside of U.S.
- Defer 12 months for travel to:
- a malarial risk area. To help determine your eligibility you may visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Travelers' Health Or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543)
- Iraq
- Defer for 3 years from date of departure if you:
- resided in a risk country or in a non-risk area within a malarial risk country (Residence: presence in a country for = 5 years)
- Defer indefinitely if you:
- spent a total of 3 months or more in the U.K. (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands) from 1/1/1980 – 12/31/1996
- spent a total of 6 months or more on or associated with a U.S. military base in Belgium, Netherlands (Holland) or Germany from 1/1/1980 – 12/31/1990
- spent a total of 6 months or more on or associated with a U.S. military base in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece from 1/1/1980 – 12/31/1996
- or your sexual partner were born in or lived in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria for five years or more after 1977
- Accept if you:
- traveled to a non-risk area of a malarial risk country and are free of unexplained symptoms suggestive of malaria
Volunteers with the following conditions CAN NOT donate blood:
- AIDS Positive test for HIV.
- Participation in high-risk activity for AIDS.
- IV drug abuse.
- Received money/drugs for sex any time since 1977.
- A man who has had sex with another man since 1977.
- Intimate contact with a person having AIDS.
- Born in or lived in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial, Guinea, Gabon, Niger or Nigeria since 1977.
- Received a blood transfusion or medical treatment with a blood product in any of these countries since 1977.
- Sex with anyone who, since 1977, was born in or lived in any of these countries.
- Arthritis (Joints are red, hot or swollen).
- Cold, Flu, Sore Throat (Unless completely recovered and feeling well on day of donation).
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease(vCJD): If you, or a blood relative, contracted the disease. Or your family has an increased risk of contracting the disease. In addition, there are specific travel restrictions: If, since 1980, you have visited the United Kingdom for a cumulative of 3 months, and/or since 1980 you have visited specific countries in Europe for a cumulative of 6 months. Please call 273-1900, ext. 17 to verify whether the country you visited is included in this criteria.
- Clinical diagnosis of viral Hepatitis on or after age 11.
- Positive test for Hepatitis B or C.
- History of liver disease or yellow jaundice of unknown cause after age 11.
- Pregnancy.
Blood Donor Deferral Criteria Changes
On July 21, 2003, the Red Cross announced that some of its donor eligibility criteria changed to expand the number of acceptable donors.
These changes include:
- Donors who had cancer in the past (except those with leukemia or lymphoma) and were treated with chemotherapy are now acceptable to give blood if five years has passed since their last chemotherapy and there has been no recurrence of their cancer. (Previously only those treated with radiation therapy, or excision alone, were eligible after the five-year cancer-free interval.)
- Donors with autoimmune disorders (lupus, myasthenia gravis, idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura, dermatomyositis, and scleroderma) are now acceptable to give blood if they are feeling well and symptom-free.
- Donors who have been previously deferred for high liver enzyme results (or elevated ALT or alanine aminotransferase levels) are now acceptable to donate, provided they were not deferred for any other reason.
- Donors with cystic fibrosis acceptable if they are healthy and without fever the day of their donation.
- Additionally, the Red Cross will now accept blood donors who are taking antibiotic medication if the donor has taken their last dose and is symptom free. (Previously donors had to wait 48 hours after the last dose before donating)
If you were previously deferred due to any of the conditions listed above, please call the Red Cross at 1-800-848-1634 to speak with a donor counselor, and have your name removed from the donor deferral registry, before making an appointment to donate blood.
Double Red Cell Donation Eligibility Criteria
- Male = 150 lbs and = 5’1” tall with Hct of = 40% (Not acceptable if participating in strenuous, competitive sports or actively training)
- Female = 175 lbs and = 5’5” tall with Hct of = 40% (Females in High School not eligible due to high risk of iron deficiency)
For more information on the local Blood Services Region or to schedule an appointment to donate blood, visit the New York-Penn Blood Services Region
Click here for information about becoming a Blood Services Volunteer
