Donate

There are many costs associated with collecting, processing, testing and distributing blood. BloodSource charges a processing fee to recover these costs. Maintaining a high quality blood supply at the lowest possible cost ensures that every patient who needs blood receives it.

BloodSource must collect about 700 units of blood per day to meet local demands. But only 38 percent of people in the U.S. are eligible to donate, and less than 10 percent actually do. Consequently, the lives of many depend on the generosity of a few.

Yes. Sterile, disposable needles are used only once for each donation. The only blood you are exposed to is your own. It is not possible to contract any infectious disease from donating blood.

For whole blood donations, only about one pint is taken, no more. You have about two pints of blood for every 25 pounds of body weight, and your body makes new blood constantly. After giving blood, most people can resume their normal activities.

A trained technician will test a drop of your blood before you donate. If you are anemic, you will not be permitted to donate on that day. However, in healthy individuals, anemia is not a permanent condition. If you were told during a previous donation you were anemic, it does not necessarily mean that you cannot give blood now.

BloodSource needs regular donations of all blood types throughout the year. Because a higher percentage of patients need the common types, the demand for donors of all types is constant.

The blood supply is very safe. Measures taken to ensure blood is as safe as possible for patients include the use of volunteer blood donors, confidential medical history interviews and numerous confidential tests on blood products, including

• ABO and Rh typing
• Test for unexpected red cell antibodies
• Test for antibodies to HIV
• Test for exposure to viral hepatitis
• Test for rare leukemia virus
• Tests for Hepatitis B and C
• Test for syphilis antibodies
• Nucleic acid tests (NAT) for hepatitis, HIV infections or West Nile Virus
• Test for Chagas disease

 

Approximately 13 percent of those individuals who register to donate are temporarily deferred, and the majority of deferrals are due to low red blood cell levels. To determine a donor's red cell level a drop of blood will be taken from the fingertip and checked.

Yes. If there are 100 people in a room, 46 will have type O blood, 40 will have type A, ten will have type B and four will have type AB. It is important that all types of blood are donated.

Yes. About four weeks after your first blood donation, BloodSource will mail you a blood donor card with your blood type.

To ensure the well-being of our donors as well as the safety of the community blood supply, donors must meet a number of requirements before giving blood.

To give blood, you must:

• be in generally good health and free of cold or flu symptoms for at least 48 hours before giving blood.
• be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent).
• weigh at least 110 pounds.
• bring photo identification or donor card.

You cannot give blood, if you:

• had hepatitis after age ten.
• have severe heart problems (high blood pressure that is under control is okay; however, it must be no higher than 180 systolic and 100 diastolic).
• are pregnant or have been pregnant in the last six weeks.
• have AIDS, are at risk for AIDS, or have had sexual contact in the past year with anyone at risk for AIDS.
• had leukemia, melanoma or myeloma. Superficial skin cancer is okay. Most other types of cancer are acceptable if you are symptom-free one year after your last treatment.

Eligibility questions?
Call 800.995.4420

Most medications do not affect your eligibility. Be sure to tell the medical interviewer what medications you are taking or have recently taken.

Acceptable medications (can be taken before donation):

• allergy medications
• aspirin
• birth control pills
• blood pressure medication
• depression medication
• diet pills
• diuretics
• female hormone pills
• Tylenol^® (in moderate doses)
• thyroid medications (if donor is symptom-free)
• vitamins

Medications that are not acceptable:

• Tegison (cannot donate if ever taken)
• Soriatane (cannot donate for three years after last dose)
• Dutasteride (cannot donate for six months after last dose)

Temporary deferral required for:

• Accutane: one month deferral
• Antibiotics: at least 72-hour deferral in most cases, unless used for preventive reasons

Yes. The following are potential limitations to your eligibility to give blood:

• Acne treatment: Okay if taking antibiotics for acne, but one-month wait after having taken Accutane (isotretinoin).
• AIDS: You cannot give blood if you are in a high-risk group for contracting AIDS. For a complete list of behaviors that disqualify people from giving blood because of high risk for AIDS, please call 800.995.4420.
• Allergy: Antihistamines and/or allergy injections okay.
• Body piercing: Ear piercing is okay if performed in a jewelry store or doctor's office with new, sterile earrings. Otherwise, you must wait one-year from time of procedure.
• Cancer: Eligible one year after treatment is completed for most cancers except melanoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma.
• Cold/Flu: Must be symptom-free for at least 48 hours. Do not give blood if you have a fever, stomach or body aches, chills, diarrhea, or sore throat.
• Diabetes: Acceptable if controlled by diet or medication, with no complications, and no medication change for two weeks.
• Drugs/Alcohol: If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, do not give blood. I.V. drug users are at great risk for hepatitis and AIDS and may not give blood.
• Hepatitis/yellow jaundice: Permanent ineligibility if infected after age ten.
• HLA Antibodies: Antibodies to white blood cells sometimes develop as a result of blood transfusion or due to pregnancy. All women participating in the simple test to determine if platelet donation is an option for the future will be tested for HLA antibodies. All women who are currently donating platelets and who have been pregnant three or more times will also be tested for HLA antibodies. If HLA antibodies are detected, you remain eligible to donate much-needed whole blood, but you will be ineligible to donate platelets.
• Pregnancy: Cannot donate during pregnancy. Wait six weeks after normal delivery. For Caesarean births, wait at least six weeks after doctor's release. Nursing mothers may give blood.
• Tattoos: Wait one year from time of procedure.
• Travel: Due to the theoretical risk of a disease in cattle (mad cow disease), travel to some areas of the world could result in a deferral. (Please inquire with medical staff for specific locations.)