Donating blood helps save lives, and regular donors tin help meet vital blood needs.

Several factors — such as medication, health weather condition, and travel — bear upon how often people tin donate claret.

This commodity looks at how often a person can donate blood and when they may demand to wait before donating.

Women at a blood bank discuss how often can you donate blood while waiting to donate. Share on Pinterest
How frequently a person can donate claret varies based on the blazon of donation they choose.

How regularly a person donates claret will depend on the type of donation they are providing. This is because different components of the blood furnish at different rates.

For instance:

  • Whole blood donation: This donation blazon provides all components of the blood, including cerise and white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. People can provide this blazon of donation once every 56 days.
  • Double ruby-red cell donation: This donation collects ii units of red claret cells. Donors tin give this type of donation every 112 days, up to 3 times per year.
  • Platelet donation: People tin can donate platelets every 7 days, upwardly to 24 times per year.
  • Plasma donation: People can donate plasma every 28 days, up to 13 times per year.

If a person is taking certain medications, they may have to await before they can give certain types of blood donation.

According to the American Crimson Cross, some medications that bear upon blood donation include:

  • Aspirin: People may need to wait 2 days after the terminal dose before providing a platelet donation.
  • Antibiotics: People may not be able to give claret if they are taking antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection. This is to lower the risk of passing it on. People may be able to give blood on the day of their last dose or 10 days later on a final antibody injection.
  • Bovine insulin: If a person has used bovine insulin since 1980 to treat diabetes, they volition non exist able to give blood. This insulin is no longer available in the United States.
  • Isotretinoin or finasteride: People will need to look ane calendar month later the terminal dose before donating blood.
  • Dutasteride: People will need to look half-dozen months later the last dose earlier donating blood.
  • Claret thinners: People will need to wait 2–7 days after the concluding dose before giving blood, depending on the blazon of blood thinner they took.
  • Human pituitary-derived growth hormone: People taking this will non exist able to give blood at any time.
  • Thalidomide: People volition need to await 1 month after taking this medication before giving blood.
  • Mycophenolate mofetil: People volition need to look 6 weeks before they tin donate.
  • Acitretin: People will need to wait three years before giving blood.
  • Etretinate: People who take this medication volition not be able to give blood at any fourth dimension.
  • Leflunomide, teriflunomide,vismodegib, or sonidegib: People volition need to wait two years to donate blood after taking any of these drugs.
  • Hepatitis B allowed globulin: People will demand to wait 12 months later on exposure to hepatitis B to donate blood.

People may be able to requite whole blood donations while taking certain medications, only they will need to wait earlier giving platelet donations. These medications include:

  • ticagrelor
  • prasugrel
  • piroxicam
  • clopidogrel
  • ticlopidine
  • vorapaxar

People may have to wait to give blood if they accept recently had certain vaccinations. These vaccinations include:

  • Zostavax: A person will demand to expect four weeks.
  • Measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox vaccines: A person will need to wait iv weeks.
  • Red measles, polio, and yellow fever vaccines: A person will demand to wait two weeks.
  • Hepatitis B immunization: A person will demand to wait 21 days, as long as they have no exposure to hepatitis B during that time.
  • Smallpox vaccine: A person volition need to wait 8 weeks.

Certain medical conditions touch if and how often people can requite blood. This is to minimize the run a risk of passing on an infection to the person receiving the blood and the potential risk to the donor.

Medical conditions that can bear upon blood donation include:

  • Blood clotting disorders: People will not be able to donate, as they may experience excessive haemorrhage.
  • Asthma: People are able to donate if they take no symptoms on the day.
  • Loftier blood force per unit area: People are able to donate if their systolic blood force per unit area is beneath 180 and their diastolic pressure is below 100.
  • Low claret pressure: People are able to donate if they experience well and their systolic blood force per unit area is at least xc and their diastolic pressure level is at to the lowest degree 50.
  • Cancer: People who have had blood cancer are not able to donate. People who accept had successful treatment of other cancers tin can donate 12 months after treatment.
  • Heart disease: People will need to wait 6 months to donate later experiencing any centre-related problems. Some may non be able to donate at all.
  • Hemochromatosis: People with this condition will not exist able to donate blood.
  • Hepatitis or jaundice: People with any symptoms of hepatitis or unexplained jaundice will not be able to requite blood.
  • HIV or AIDS: If a person has AIDS, has ever had a positive HIV test, or is at risk of HIV, they volition not exist able to donate.
  • Sickle cell affliction: People with sickle cell trait are able to donate, but those with sickle cell illness will not exist able to.

If a person has had any exposure to hepatitis, they will have to wait before giving blood. People who take used intravenous nonprescription drugs are likewise unable to donate. This is because of the potential hepatitis or HIV run a risk.

Certain sexually transmitted infections can too bear upon when people are able to give blood. People who have had handling for syphilis or gonorrhea volition demand to expect 3 months after treatment before altruistic.

People with chlamydia, venereal warts, or genital herpes are able to donate claret if they are feeling well at the time.

People may also take to await to donate blood if they feel unwell, have a fever, or have any symptoms of an infection.

This includes having a cold with a coughing that produces phlegm or allergies that make it difficult to exhale through the mouth.

Meaning women are also unable to donate blood and will have to look 6 weeks after giving birth before doing so.

People will also need sufficient atomic number 26 levels to requite blood. Earlier giving claret, a person volition undergo a test for hemoglobin, which is a protein in the trunk that contains iron. Iron is an important mineral, every bit information technology helps replenish crimson claret cells after donation.

If a person does non have the required hemoglobin levels, they may take to look until their fe levels increment earlier altruistic.

Tattoos and piercings

If a person has a tattoo or piercing, it may bear on when they can donate claret due to the related risk of hepatitis.

To be eligible to donate blood with a tattoo, people will demand to brand sure that they got their tattoo from a country-regulated tattoo facility.

The tattoo creative person needs to have used sterile needles and fresh ink. If a tattoo meets these criteria, the person can donate blood right subsequently they become it.

People with piercings tin can donate blood as long every bit the instruments the piercer used were single-utilise and disposable. If the piercer used reusable equipment or the person is unsure of what they used, they will need to wait 3 months earlier donating blood.

Travel

Traveling to other countries also affects when a person tin can give blood. If a person has traveled to or lived in a country that has a take a chance of malaria, they will have to wait before giving blood.

Co-ordinate to the American Red Cross, the time frames are as follows:

  • If a person has received treatment for malaria, they will need to wait 3 years.
  • If a person is returning from a state at take chances of malaria, they will need to wait iii months.
  • If a person has lived in a land at risk of malaria for over 5 years, they will demand to look iii years.
  • If a person has traveled to an at-gamble state and has not lived for 3 consecutive years in a country non at risk of malaria, they volition demand to wait 3 boosted years.

If a person has traveled outside of the U.S. or Canada, the staff at the blood center will review the details to check that they can give blood.

By donating blood, people can help salve lives. However, people need to be aware of certain factors that can affect how often they can give blood.

Before giving blood, a person volition demand to fill out a form providing sure details, such equally their medical history. This ensures that the blood people donate is prophylactic and can effectively help others.

In some cases, a person may demand to wait a sure amount of fourth dimension before they are able to give blood. People will also need to leave some time between donations, depending on the type of donation they choose.