Red Cross Lifeblood has specific criteria to ensure the safety of both donors and recipients. Donor eligibility can be based on various factors, including recent activities, health conditions, or travel history. Here’s a summary of some of the primary deferral criteria:
- Age: First-time donors should be between 18 and 75 years old. However, 16- and 17-year-olds can also donate with parental consent. There’s no upper age limit for donors who’ve donated in the last two years.
- Weight: Donors should weigh at least 50 kg.
- Health Status: Those feeling unwell or displaying cold/flu symptoms should not donate.
- Tattoos and Piercings: Wait for 4 months after getting a tattoo or a piercing.
- Overseas Travel: Depending on where and when you’ve traveled, there might be a deferral period due to risks like malaria.
- Pregnancy: Women cannot donate during pregnancy. There’s also a waiting period after giving birth.
- Certain Medications: Depending on the medication, there might be a deferral period.
- Recent Surgery: The deferral period can vary depending on the type of surgery.
- Certain Illnesses or Medical Conditions: Depending on the condition, you might be deferred temporarily or permanently. For instance, those with certain cancers or heart conditions might be ineligible.
- Risk of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD): People who’ve lived in the UK for a total of six months or more between 1980 and 1996 or received a blood transfusion in the UK since 1980 are permanently deferred due to the risk of variant CJD.
- Sexual Activity: Historically, men who have sex with men were deferred from donating for a certain period due to the increased statistical risk of HIV transmission. However, guidelines have evolved over time, and as of my last update, the deferral period was reduced to three months since the last sexual activity. This criterion is regularly reviewed and may change.
- Exposure to Infectious Diseases: People with certain infections, or those who’ve been exposed to specific infections, might be deferred.