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THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES TO ELIGIBILITY!

All blood donors must meet Massachusetts General Hospital’s eligibility requirements to donate whole blood, platelets, or red blood cells. Donors must complete a questionnaire, which includes health and lifestyle questions, at their blood donation appointment to determine eligibility.

Basic Requirements for Blood Donation

Donation Frequency

  • Whole Blood: Every 56 days
  • Platelets: Every 7 days
  • Double Red Cells: Every 112 days
Covid-19, RSV, and Flu vaccines/boosters require NO WAITING period to donate as long as you are feeling well and healthy

Health Conditions

  • Antibiotics: Donors are deferred for 24 hours after their final dose.
  • Cancer: Donors with a history of most types of cancer are eligible to donate 1 year from the date of their last treatment.

Exceptions

There is no deferral period for donors with a history of:

  • Basal cell carcinoma of the skin
  • Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
  • Carcinoma-in-situ or Dysplasia of the cervix or breast, if treated or completely removed and healed

There is a permanent deferral for donors with a history of:

  • Leukemia
  • Lymphoma
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia

Other Conditions

  • Colds: Donors are not eligible if they are not feeling well and healthy the day of donation.
  • COVID19- Donors are eligible 10 days after the resolution of symptoms OR a positive test if remained asymptomatic (no symptoms)
  • Diabetes: Donors with diabetes (type I or II) are eligible to donate.
  • Dental Work: Donors are eligible to donate following routine dental work.
  • Gonorrhea: Donor is deferred for 3 months after date of last treatment.  
  • Heart Attack: Further evaluation is needed. Please email us.
  • Hepatitis/Hepatitis Exposure: Donor is deferred for 12 months after hepatitis B or hepatitis C exposure.
  • Viral Hepatitis: Donor with a history of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) is indefinitely deferred, regardless of symptoms, spontaneous resolution, or treatment.
  • Hemochromatosis: Donor is not eligible to donate
  • High Blood Pressure: Donors with high blood pressure are eligible to donate if their blood pressure is controlled with medication.
  • Pregnant: Donors who are pregnant or less than six weeks postpartum are not eligible to donate.
  • Stitches: Donors are not eligible while stitches/sutures are still in.
  • Transfusion: Donor is deferred for 3 months after a transfusion of blood or blood components.

HIV/AIDS

Individuals who have had a positive test for HIV/AIDS or who have been at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS are permanently deferred from blood donation.

The following risk factors require a permanent deferral:

  • Have any signs or symptoms of AIDS such as: fevers, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, cough, diarrhea, swollen glands, white spots in the mouth, or purple or blue bumps on the skin

The following risk factors require a 3-month deferral from the date of occurrence:

  • Use of nonprescription drugs or steroids by needle in the last 3 months
  • Have taken drugs or money for sex in the last 3 months
  • Have had sex, even once, with someone who has taken money or drugs in exchange for sex
  • Accidental needle stick
  • Had a new and/or multiple partners it the last 3 months and have had anal sex in the last 3 months
  • Have taken, by mouth, any medication to prevent HIV (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxix (PrEP) or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) in the last 3 months

There is now a two-year deferral to donate blood if you:

  • Have taken, by injection, any medication to prevent HIV infection (i.e., PrEP, PEP)

Anyone taking Truvada (tenofovir), Descovy (emtricitabine), Tivicay (dolutegravir), or Isentress (raltegravir) must wait 3 months since last dose, and anyone taking Apretude (cabotegravir) will be deferred for 2 years since last dose.

Donors who have ever taken medications to treat HIV, such as ART cannot donate.

Travel

Malarial-Endemic Areas: Donor is deferred for 3 months after travel to a malarial-endemic area. Please note we use the CDC’s Yellow Book to determine Malarial Risk – you can get more information here.

Donors who have lived in a malarial-endemic area are deferred for 3 years after moving to a non-malarial area. However, the 3 years MUST not include any visits to ANY malarial area. If a visit occurs, the 3-year deferral begins again.

For questions regarding travel, please contact The Kraft Family Blood Donor Center. 

Other Lifestyle Factors

  • Ear/Body Piercing: Donor is eligible if piercing was performed using sterile single-use equipment.
  • Tattoos: Donor is deferred for 3 months after getting a tattoo.

Platelet Donation Eligibility Guidelines

In addition to the eligibility guidelines for blood donations, platelet donors must:

  • Weigh at least 110 lbs
  • Avoid aspirin and aspirin-containing products for 48 hours prior to platelet donation
If you have ever had a pregnancy, we ask that you donate whole blood prior to a platelet donation.