Thank you for your interest in donating blood! For your own and the recipient's safety, and to meet regulations, there are important criteria you have to meet in order to donate.
Please review the guidelines below carefully before signing up!
If you do not meet the requirements, please do not sign-up or reschedule your appointment. Because of limited slots, let us avoid forfeited slots because of ineligibility.
This article will cover three main eligibility criteria:
Note: The information below is summarized from the American Red Cross's eligibility page and eligibility FAQ, and is accurate as of August 15, 2023. While you may meet the criteria stated on the website, please also understand that ultimately, the attending nurse will have the final say as to whether you can donate.
There are two types of donations you can make:
(i) Whole Blood and (ii) Power Red.
Please review the General Health Considerations from the American Red Cross for more information.
* The number of allowable donations per year may be lower due to red cell and plasma loss limit guidelines. Final eligibility will be determined by the American Red Cross at the time of donation.
** Healthy means that you feel well and can perform normal activities. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes, healthy also means that you are being treated and the condition is under control. If you are not feeling well on the day of your donation, please reschedule your appointment.
† Please note higher requirements may apply in certain cases.
The American Red Cross will review your destinations if you traveled outside of the United States and Canada in the past 3 years. Given that many of us traveled in the semester break for GBE and/or leisure, and many of us are international students, please take note of this section carefully.
Note: If you are donating and have traveled outside of the United States and Canada in the past 3 years, regardless of malaria-risk, you should fill up this form and bring it to your appointment to save time.
Certain countries have certain endemic diseases that can be transmitted through blood. Chief of the concerns is malaria, as there is presently no sensitive blood test available for it. Therefore, if you have been to or are from any of the malaria-endemic regions of the world below, it is possible you may not be eligible.
-
The Canadian Blood Services publishes a detailed list from the US CDC of the countries that are considered malaria-endemic here.
The best and most certain way to determine your eligibility is to call the American Red Cross at 866-236-3276 to speak with an eligibility specialist about your travel.
If you have traveled or lived in a malaria-risk country, a waiting period is required before you can donate blood:
Approximate parts of the world where malaria transmission occurs (2020).
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Please review the Travel Outside the U.S., Immigration FAQ from the American Red Cross for more information.
The CDC classifies countries into "No risk", "Partial risk" (i.e. only certain areas in the country are no risk), and "All risk". If you had been to a country or countries that are classified as "All risk", you are unlikely to be eligible. You may be eligible if you only went to places considered "No risk" in a "Partial risk" country.
If you had traveled to an all risk country, or an at-risk location in a partial risk country (see here), you have to wait 3 months before you are eligible to donate.
Warning: If you traveled outside of your GBE country, please check your eligibility with the American Red Cross at 866-236-3276 or the malaria-endemic countries list.
Below is a list of common countries our international community are from and their malaria risk. If you lived from than 5 years in an all risk country, or an at-risk location in a partial risk country (see here), you have to wait 3 years before you are eligible to donate. An additional waiting period of 3 years is required if you have traveled to an area where malaria is found if you have not lived a consecutive 3 years in a country or countries where malaria is not found.
Note: If you are donating and have traveled or lived outside of the United States and Canada in the past 3 years, regardless of malaria-risk, you should fill up this form and bring it to your appointment to save time.
There are a list of various health and lifestyle factors that may disqualify you from donating blood at this time.
If in doubt, please contact the American Red Cross at 866-236-3276.
If you were recently taking or are taking medication (including aspirin and antibiotics), or were recently vaccinated, please read this FAQ.
If you had the following medical treatments, please read this FAQ:
If any of these apply to you, please read this FAQ:
