Blood Donor Requirements

Please Note: This list of Blood Donor Requirements is not complete. Medical professionals are available at each of our Community Blood Centers and bloodmobiles who will discuss and evaluate each donor's health history and activities in a confidential setting prior to blood donation. The final determination of eligibility is made at that time. Certain donor eligibility criteria are specified by the Food and Drug Administration, State of California and AABB and European Union (EU).

The remaining criteria is determined by the Medical Director of the San Diego Blood Bank and may differ among the types of donations and with the criteria from other blood centers. Donor eligibility criteria is intended to protect the health and safety of the donor and the patient who will receive the transfusion.

The guidelines listed below are to assist you in determining whether you are eligible. Some health conditions or medications may temporarily or permanently prevent some individuals from donating blood. If you have a question regarding your eligibility to donate blood, please call any of our Community Blood Centers at 1-800-4MY-SDBB (1-800-469-7322) or email your question to a Center nurse.

Make sure to review our Before You Donate web page.

Please note the effective date listed on these blood donor requirements. Because requirements change from time to time, it is important to check this Web site before each blood donation. The guidelines listed below were last revised on September 28, 2008. The most recent requirement changes/additions are highlighted in red.

• Basic Requirements
• Donation Frequency
• DO NOT DONATE BLOOD IF YOU...
• Medical Conditions
• Other Possible Restrictions
• Medications
• Immunizations
• Travel Restrictions
• Other Travel Restrictions

• Be in generally good health and feeling well
• Weigh at least 110 pounds
• Be 17 years of age up to 85th birthday
• There may be additional requirements for some automated donations

• Whole blood donors may donate every 56 days
• Platelet donors may donate every 48 hours (donors are scheduled every two weeks)
• Plasma donors may donate every 4 weeks
• Double red cell apheresis donors may donate every 112 days

Why we ask questions about sexual contact:
Sexual contact may cause contagious diseases like HIV to get into the bloodstream and be spread through transfusions to someone else.

Definition of "sexual contact":
The words "have sexual contact with" and "sex" are used in some of the questions we will ask you, and apply to any of the activities below, whether or not a condom or other protection was used.

Because different people have different definitions of "sexual contact," the FDA recommends the following clarification:

• Vaginal sex (contact between penis and vagina)
• Oral sex (mouth or tongue on someone's vagina, penis or anus)
• Anal sex (contact between penis and anus)

• Have AIDS or have ever had a positive HIV test
• Have any of the following conditions that can be signs or symptoms of HIV/AIDS:
  • Unexplained weight loss or night sweats
  • Blue or purple spots in your mouth or skin
  • Swollen lymph nodes for more than one month
  • White spots or unusual sores in your mouth
  • Cough that won't go away or shortness of breath
  • Diarrhea that won't go away
  • Fever of more than 100.5° F for more than 10 days
• Have ever used needles to take drugs, steroids, or anything not prescribed by your doctor
• Are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977
• Have ever taken money, drugs, or other payment for sex since 1977
• Have hemophilia or another blood clotting disorder and received clotting factor concentrate
• Have had sexual contact in the past 12 months with anyone described above

Remember that you CAN give HIV to someone else through blood transfusions even if you feel well and have a negative HIV test. This is because tests cannot detect infections for a period of time after a person is exposed to HIV.

• Have had syphilis or gonorrhea in the past 12 months
• In the last 12 months, have been in juvenile detention, lockup, jail, or prison for more than 72 hours
• Have received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom or France from 1980 to the present