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basic donor eligibility, weigh at least 110 pounds, healthy on donation day, 16 yrs old with parental permission and bring a photo ID

Age: You must be 17 years old, or 16 years old with a parental consent form
(Download the parental consent form in Spanish).

Weight: at least 110 pounds.

Health: You must be in good health and feeling well on the day of donation. Prospective donors should eat a full meal within four hours of donating, avoiding fried, fatty foods and whole dairy products.

I.D. required to donate: Photo ID required. Contact the blood center for religious exceptions.

Allergy shots: Acceptable

Antibiotics: Complexion and prevention of urinary tract infection (women only) – acceptable, other – 48 hours after final dose, if the reason for taking the antibiotics has been eliminated. If antibiotics were received by injection, you must wait 2 weeks before donating.

Autologous (Self-donation): eligible three months after surgery.

Blood donation: Whole blood: 56 days (8 weeks) since last donation. Automated, double red cells: 112 days.

Blood transfusion: three months after receiving blood or blood products.

Cancer: One year after treatment completed with no recurrence. Leukemia and Lymphomas cannot be accepted. Carcinoma in situ of cervix is acceptable. Skin cancer is usually acceptable if basal or squamous cell. Melanoma –one year after completion of treatment and no recurrence.

Colds: Accept if no fever, sore throat, cough associated with a cold, headache, fatigue and not on antibiotics. Over the counter cold remedies are acceptable in the absence of the above symptoms.

COVID-19: You are ELIGIBLE to donate 10 days after recovery (no symptoms) from COVID-19 or if exposure to COVID-19 occurred more than 10 days ago and you have had no symptoms since the exposure. Donors vaccinated or not and exposed to someone with a positive test result BUT protected by personal protective equipment (well fitted medical grade or cloth mask) and have no symptoms may donate. Click here for more information regarding COVID-19 and eligibility. See COVID-19 vaccinations.

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease: As of July 2022 the FDA has released revised deferral criteria for Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (aka Mad Cow Disease). Donors who were previously deferred due to risk of exposure to CJD / Mad Cow Disease have been reinstated as potential donors. Please review updated deferral here and call Donor Services Auditing at 800-747-5401 to see if your eligibility has changed.

Dental work: Eligible 7 days after dental procedure if no infection and not receiving antibiotics. Routine teeth cleaning is acceptable.

Diabetes: Acceptable if well on day of donation.

Ears or skin pierced: Acceptable if single use equipment was used. Otherwise: 3 month deferral. Acupuncture acceptable if performed using sterile or single-use needle.

Flu Vaccination: See vaccinations.

Tattoos: Acceptable if tattoo was applied in a licensed facility in a regulated state. Otherwise: 3 month deferral.

List of acceptable states

Epilepsy Medications: Acceptable if seizure-free for 3 months.

Hay Fever: Acceptable. Hay fever remedies are acceptable.

Heart Conditions: An angiogram is acceptable if results were normal. Angioplasty (balloon), stent, or heart attack are acceptable after 6 months if stable and no activity restrictions. Heart surgery is a 12 month deferral if stable and no restrictions.

Herpes Simplex 1: (Cold Sore) Acceptable, when outbreak is dry and crusted.

Herpes Simplex 2: (Venereal) Acceptable, when outbreak is dry and crusted.

LGBTQIA+: See frequently asked questions at bottom of this page and click here for updates on LGBTQIA+ eligibility updates..

Major surgery: Most surgeries are acceptable when healed, released from immediate doctor’s care, infection-free, no blood was transfused, and return to normal activities.

Minor surgery: Acceptable if no sign of infection. Stitches and cast are acceptable.

Medications: vitamins, hormones, birth control pills, thyroid medications, aspirin, fertility drugs, non-steroid anti-inflammatory and pain medications are all acceptable. 

  • Meds to treat HIV/AIDS (ART)—indefinite deferral
  • PrEP to prevent HIV/AIDS infection—3-month deferral

List of Medication Deferrals

Mpox: click here for information

Pregnancy: Acceptable 6 weeks after delivery or termination of pregnancy. Breast-feeding is acceptable.

Ulcers: Acceptable if symptom-free at the time of donation. Most medications are acceptable.

Vaccinations: 21 days after hepatitis B or combination Hepatitis B and A vaccines (Heptavax, Energix, Recombivax), 4 weeks after MMR, Shingles and Chickenpox (herpes zoster vaccine or Varivax). Flu shots are acceptable. Vaccinations for COVID-19 are acceptable.

If you have had the following, you cannot donate blood.

  • Blood disease, such as leukemia
  • Positive test for hepatitis B or C
  • HIV: positive test ever
  • Lymphoma

Donor Eligibility Handout  Donor Eligibility Handout (Spanish)

frequently asked questions

Scroll down to review frequently asked LGBTQIA+ eligibility questions. If you are not sure of your eligibility to donate blood, please fill out our deferral/eligibility inquiry form and our Donor/Patient Services team will follow-up with you.

Visit bloodcenter.org/earlyq to fill out your online donor history questionnaire

current Donor reward

Donor Promotion: e-gift card or green t-shirt

FAQs

  • What is the blood donor deferral that applies to gay, bisexual and transgender men, and why does ImpactLife enforce this guideline?

    ImpactLife is regulated and audited by numerous organizations and governing bodies to ensure the safety of the blood and blood products we provide. One of those organizations is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which regulates all blood centers in the United States.

    The FDA guidance “Revised Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission by Blood and Blood Products” released in April 2020 states that men who had sex with men (often referred to as the MSM deferral) will be deferred for three (3) months from the date of last sexual encounter.

    As with all U.S. blood providers, ImpactLife is required to follow donor eligibility criteria that are set by the FDA. At the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s, the FDA enacted a lifetime deferral on MSM, which remained in place until 2015, when the deferral period was changed to one year from most recent sexual contact. At the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, this deferral along with a handful of other deferrals related to HIV, Hepatitis C, and Malaria were reduced to a three-month period from date of most recent risk-related activity.

    On January 27, 2023, FDA released draft guidance to change the blood donation deferral of males who have sex with another male to a more inclusive screening protocol that will apply to all donors. The draft guidance is now open for a 60-day period of comment and review. Once final guidance is issued, blood centers will have up to 12 months to implement the changes involving modification to donor management software, donor screening and questionnaire protocols that will allow for new donor eligibility. (See the FDA news release on the draft guidance and other updates here: www.bloodcenter.org/update.) 

  • Does ImpactLife support the FDA’s policy change regarding men who have sex with men?

    Yes, ImpactLife supports the change and has implemented the most recent FDA guidance issues in 2020. The new draft guidance revising the policy is currently open for public comment and final guidance is expected to be issued in the Spring of 2023.  ImpactLife will implement the final guidance changes, which may take up to 9 months to implement once issued. The changes are based on data from new studies showing the change can safely expand the nation’s blood supply. ImpactLife remains committed to additional research studies that can help guide future donor eligibility policies that are based on individual risk assessment.

    Three of the nation’s largest blood centers – Vitalant, OneBlood, and the American Red Cross – conducted a study sponsored by FDA that supported changes issued in the draft guidance.

    The research is called the ADVANCE Study: Assessing Donor Variability And New Concepts in Donor Eligibility. For information and updates, see www.advancestudy.org.

    On January 27, 2023, FDA released draft guidance to change the blood donation deferral of males who have sex with another male. The draft guidance is now open for a 60-day period of comment and review. Once final guidance is issued, blood centers will have 6 - 12 months to implement the changes involving modification to donor management software, donor screening and questionnaire protocols that will allow for new donor eligibility. (See the FDA news release on the draft guidance and other updates here: www.bloodcenter.org/update.) 

  • Did the FDA recently change its policy regarding men who have sex with men?

    Yes. On April 2, 2020 the FDA announced changes to its donor eligibility policy titled: “Revised Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission by Blood and Blood Products.” The policy change shortens the deferral criteria for males who have had sex with another male or females who have had sex with a male who has had sex with another male from 12 months to three months. ImpactLife has implemented this change.

    On January 27, 2023, FDA released draft guidance to change the blood donation deferral of males who have sex with another male. This change eliminates the blanket deferral and applies an inclusive individual sexual behavior screening protocol to all donors. The draft guidance is now open for a 60-day period of comment and review. Once final guidance is issued, blood centers will have up to 12 months to implement the changes involving modification to donor management software, donor screening and questionnaire protocols that will allow for new donor eligibility. (See the FDA news release on the draft guidance and other updates here: www.bloodcenter.org/update.) 

  • Can I donate if I was deferred under the previous 12-month deferral policy for males who have had sex with another male??

    Individuals deferred previously due to the sexual behavior criteria and are past the current three-month time period, will be able to present to give and undergo the full donor screening process. Individuals who were deferred during the lifetime ban prior to 2015 may need to contact ImpactLife to have that indefinite deferral removed prior to presenting to donate. Please note, all donors are required to answer a series of questions on the Donor History Questionnaire (DHQ), a medical history questionnaire developed by AABB and approved by the FDA, before donating.  Depending on the answers, there may be other circumstances that can cause a person to be deferred.

    On January 27, 2023, FDA released draft guidance to change the blood donation deferral of males who have sex with another male from a three-month time-based deferral to a screening protocol that evaluates the individual sexual behavior of all donors. The draft guidance is now open for a 60-day period of comment and review. Once final guidance is issued, blood centers will have up to12 months to implement the changes involving modification to donor management software, donor screening and questionnaire protocols that will allow for new donor eligibility. Prospective donors who may be impacted by these deferral changes should contact the blood center prior to donating to ensure protocols have been updated for acceptance (See the FDA news release on the draft guidance and other updates here: www.bloodcenter.org/update.) 

  • I am a man who is in a monogamous sexual relationship with another man. Am I allowed to donate if I have had sex with a man in the last three months?

    No. The current FDA guidance states, “Defer for 3 months from the most recent sexual contact, a man who has had sex with another man during the past 3 months." All U.S. blood collection organizations must follow this federal requirement. Please note, all potential donors must meet all applicable donor criteria in order to give blood. However, changes to this guidance are coming soon that will change this eligibility. 

    On January 27, 2023, FDA released draft guidance to change the blood donation deferral of males who have sex with another male. The new deferral guidance moves away from the blanket deferral that applies to only a subset of the population, to an inclusive individual sexual behavior screening protocol that will be applied to all prospective donors. The draft guidance is now open for a 60-day period of comment and review. Once final guidance is issued, blood centers will have up to 12 months to implement the changes involving modification to donor management software, donor screening and questionnaire protocols that will allow for new donor eligibility. (See the FDA news release on the draft guidance and other updates here: www.bloodcenter.org/update.) 

  • I am a transgender individual. Am I allowed to donate?

    There is no deferral associated with being transgender, and your eligibility will be based upon the criteria associated with your self-identified, self-reported gender. The latest FDA revised guidance states, “In the context of the donor history questionnaire, FDA recommends that male or female gender be taken to be self-identified and self-reported.” Although there is no deferral associated with being transgender, you may be deferred for other reasons. For instance, if you identify as male and have had sex with men in the last three months, you will be deferred from donating per the current FDA guidance outlined above, and you must meet all other eligibility guidelines to donate blood. Please note, all potential donors must meet all applicable donor criteria in order to give blood.

    On January 27, 2023, FDA released draft guidance to change the blood donation deferral of males who have sex with another male. The new guidance will change to an inclusive screening protocol that evaluates the individual sexual behavior of all donors.  It will take time for blood centers to be able to accept newly eligible donors after this change becomes effective. The draft guidance is now open for a 60-day period of comment and review. Once final guidance is issued, blood centers will have up to 12 months to implement the changes involving modification to donor management software, donor screening and questionnaire protocols that will allow for new donor eligibility. (See the FDA news release on the draft guidance and other updates here: www.bloodcenter.org/update.) 

  • I do not identify as male or female. Will this impact my ability to donate?

    While being non-binary is not cause for a deferral, it is important to note that the regulated software we use to maintain our donor records system does not feature a gender non-binary option at this time. ImpactLife is working with our software provider to update our system so that we can accept non-binary identifications in our donor registry.  This will take time to implement once the software is updated.  

  • Are there other donor eligibility criteria I will need to meet to donate?

    Yes. To help ensure donor safety and safety of the blood supply, the FDA requires that all potential blood donors answer a series of questions on the Donor History Questionnaire (DHQ) prior to donation. Click here for Information on Donor Eligibility. This questionnaire can now be taken at home or remotely on the day of donation prior to presenting to give. This supports donor privacy and can speed up the time donors are at our centers or mobile blood drives. The online questionnaire can be accessed on our website and is called EarlyQ.

    On January 27, 2023, FDA released draft guidance to change the blood donation deferral of males who have sex with another male. The draft guidance is now open for a 60-day period of comment and review. Once final guidance is issued, blood centers will have 6 - 12 months to implement the changes involving modification to donor management software, donor screening and questionnaire protocols that will allow for new donor eligibility. (See the FDA news release on the draft guidance and other updates here: www.bloodcenter.org/update.) 

  • What is the latest on changes to donor eligibility criteria for men who have sexual contact with men?

    On January 27, 2023, FDA released draft guidance to change the blood donation deferral of males who have sex with another male. The draft guidance eliminates the current blanket deferral and applies an inclusive approach to screening all individual donors based on specific sexual behavior with new or multiple partners. The draft guidance is now open for a 60-day period of comment and review. Once final guidance is issued, blood centers will have 6 - 12 months to implement the changes involving modification to donor management software, donor screening and questionnaire protocols that will allow for new donor eligibility. (See the FDA news release on the draft guidance and other updates here: www.bloodcenter.org/update.)