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Blood donation is a safe procedure and can be done by people who weigh more than 50 kg or a BMI greater than 18.5 kg/m2, do not have changes in blood count and are 16 years of age or older. Men can donate every 3 months while women must wait 4 months between each donation due to blood loss due to menstrual period.
Some situations may temporarily prevent blood donation, such as tattooing or piercing, international travel, SARS-CoV-2 infection, tooth extraction, flu or cold, for example.
On the other hand, having hepatitis B or C or being a carrier of the HIV virus permanently prevents blood donation, since they are diseases that can be transmitted through blood, with the possible infection of the person who receives it.
Who can donate blood
Blood donation can be made by he althy people, from 16 years old, as long as authorized in writing by parents or guardians. Also, some requirements for donating blood are:
- Weighing more than 50 kg and a BMI greater than 18.5;
- No changes in the blood count, such as a decrease in the amount of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin;
- Have had a he althy and balanced diet before donating, having avoided eating fatty foods for at least 4 hours before donation;
- Not having ingested alcohol 12 hours before donation and not having smoked in the 2 hours before;
- Be he althy and not have blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis, AIDS, Malaria or Zika, for example.
Donating blood is a safe process that guarantees the well-being of the donor and is a quick process that takes a maximum of 30 minutes.Donor blood can be used in different ways, depending on the needs of the recipient. Whole blood or any of its components such as plasma, platelets, leukocytes or red blood cells can be used, depending on the needs of those who need it.
What is a universal donor
The universal donor corresponds to the person who has type O blood, which has anti-A and anti-B proteins and, therefore, when it is transfused to another person, it does not cause a reaction in the recipient, and therefore, you can donate to everyone.
It is important that the blood is compatible between donor and recipient, as it is possible to avoid transfusion reactions. See who can donate to whom.
What prevents blood donation
Some situations may temporarily prevent blood donation, as indicated in the following table:
| Condition that prevents donation | Time when you cannot donate blood |
|---|---|
| Infection with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) | 30 days after laboratory confirmation of cure |
| Consumption of alcoholic beverages | 12 hours |
| Common cold, flu, diarrhea, fever or vomiting | 7 days after symptoms disappear |
| Tooth extraction | 7 days |
| Normal childbirth | 3 to 6 months |
| Cesarean delivery | 6 months |
| Endoscopy, colonoscopy or rhinoscopy exams | Between 4 to 6 months, depending on the exam |
| Pregnancy | During the entire gestation period |
| Abortion | 6 months |
| Breastfeeding | 12 months after giving birth |
| Tattooing, piercing or performing any acupuncture or mesotherapy treatment | 4 months |
| Vaccines | 1 month |
| Risk situations for sexually transmitted infections, such as multiple sexual partners, or injecting drug use | 12 months |
| Pulmonary tuberculosis | 5 years |
| Change sexual partner | 6 months |
| Travel abroad | It varies between 1 and 12 months, depending on the country you travel to |
| Weight loss for he alth reasons or for unknown reasons | 3 months |
| Herpes of the lips, genitals or eyes | While you have symptoms |
Situations that permanently prevent donation
There are also some situations that prevent blood donation permanently due to the risk to the donor and the recipient, the main ones being:
- HIV or AIDS infection;
- Hepatitis B or C;
- HTLV, which is a virus from the same family as the HIV virus;
- Diseases treated with blood products for life;
- Blood cancer such as lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease or leukemia, for example;
- Chagas Disease;
- Malaria;
- I use injecting drugs.
