Some Conditions That Disqualify People From Donating Blood

Condition	Permanent or Temporary Disqualification	Comments
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)	Permanent	This includes any person who has ever had a positive test for HIV infection. This includes any person who has ever taken any medication to treat HIV infection.
Activities that increase risk of HIV infection	Temporary	Wait for 2 years from last use of any medication given by injection to prevent HIV infection (such as long-acting antiviral PrEP or PEP). Wait for 3 months from the last use of any medication by mouth (oral) to prevent HIV infection (antiviral PrEP or PEP). Wait 3 months from the last time high-risk activity has taken place. Activities include Non-prescription injection drug use Engaged in sex for money or drugs New sexual partner or more than one sexual partner in the last 3 months and engaged in anal sex in the last 3 months Sexual contact with a person who has ever had a positive HIV test Sexual contact with a person who used non-prescription injection drugs in the past 3 months or a person who engaged in sex for money or drugs in the past 3 months Contact with blood of another person through a needle stick or through contact with the donor’s open wound or mucous membranes Completion of treatment for syphilis or gonorrhea Tattoo, ear, or body piercing unless done by a state-regulated entity with sterile needles and non-reused ink, or done using single-use equipment Receiving an allogeneic (from another person) transfusion of whole blood or blood components
Anemia (a low level of hemoglobin in the blood)	Temporary	People can donate blood after the anemia resolves.
Asthma, severe	Permanent	—
Bleeding disorders, congenital	Permanent	—
Cancers involving blood cells (for example, leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma)	Permanent	People cannot donate even if they are cancer-free.
Cancers, other	Temporary	People may donate if they are cancer-free and treatment was completed more than 12 months previously. People with mild, treatable forms (such as small skin cancers) that have been completely removed may be able to donate before 12 months.
	Temporary	How long people have to wait depends on the medication. Most medications do not disqualify people from donating blood.
Heart disease, severe	Permanent	Any heart disease must be medically evaluated and treated, and the person should have no heart-related symptoms within the last 6 months.
Hepatitis B or C infection	Permanent	People who have ever had hepatitis due to a virus or tested positive for hepatitis B or C cannot donate blood.
Hepatitis, exposure to	Temporary	People must wait 12 months after possible exposure (for example, living with or having sex with a person with hepatitis, being incarcerated in a correctional facility for more than 72 hours, or having a human bite that broke the skin).
High blood pressure	Temporary	People can donate after their blood pressure is controlled.
Possible exposure to prion diseases, such as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (also called mad cow disease)	Permanent	Exposure may occur when People have used insulin derived from cows. People have spent time in Europe since 1980 (ranging from more than 3 months to 5 years, depending on the country) U.S. military personnel who lived on bases in Europe for more than 6 months during 1980–1996.
Malaria or exposure to malaria	Temporary	People must wait 1–3 years.
Pregnancy	Temporary	People must wait 6 weeks after giving birth.
Major surgery if recent	Temporary	—
Transfusions	Temporary or permanent	People who received a transfusion in the United States must wait 3 months. People who received a transfusion in the United Kingdom, Ireland, or France since 1980 cannot donate blood permanently.
Vaccines (some)	Temporary	How long people have to wait depends on the vaccine.
Zika virus infection	Temporary	For recent Zika virus infection, the U.S. FDA recommends people wait 120 days from the day symptoms resolve or from the last positive test result, whichever is longer.
Data from The U. S. FDA May 2023 Guidance document: Recommendations for Evaluating Donor Eligibility Using Individual Risk-Based Questions to Reduce the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission by Blood and Blood Products.
FDA = Food and Drug Administration; HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; PrEP = pre-exposure prophylaxis; PEP = post-exposure prophylaxis.

Condition

Permanent or Temporary Disqualification

Comments

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Permanent

This includes any person who has ever had a positive test for HIV infection.

This includes any person who has ever taken any medication to treat HIV infection.

Activities that increase risk of HIV infection

Temporary

Wait for 2 years from last use of any medication given by injection to prevent HIV infection (such as long-acting antiviral PrEP or PEP).

Wait for 3 months from the last use of any medication by mouth (oral) to prevent HIV infection (antiviral PrEP or PEP).

Wait 3 months from the last time high-risk activity has taken place. Activities include

Non-prescription injection drug use
Engaged in sex for money or drugs
New sexual partner or more than one sexual partner in the last 3 months and engaged in anal sex in the last 3 months
Sexual contact with a person who has ever had a positive HIV test
Sexual contact with a person who used non-prescription injection drugs in the past 3 months or a person who engaged in sex for money or drugs in the past 3 months
Contact with blood of another person through a needle stick or through contact with the donor’s open wound or mucous membranes
Completion of treatment for syphilis or gonorrhea
Tattoo, ear, or body piercing unless done by a state-regulated entity with sterile needles and non-reused ink, or done using single-use equipment
Receiving an allogeneic (from another person) transfusion of whole blood or blood components

Anemia (a low level of hemoglobin in the blood)

Temporary

People can donate blood after the anemia resolves.

Asthma, severe

Permanent

—

Bleeding disorders, congenital

Permanent

—

Cancers involving blood cells (for example, leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma)

Permanent

People cannot donate even if they are cancer-free.

Cancers, other

Temporary

People may donate if they are cancer-free and treatment was completed more than 12 months previously.

People with mild, treatable forms (such as small skin cancers) that have been completely removed may be able to donate before 12 months.

Temporary

How long people have to wait depends on the medication.

Most medications do not disqualify people from donating blood.

Heart disease, severe

Permanent

Any heart disease must be medically evaluated and treated, and the person should have no heart-related symptoms within the last 6 months.

Hepatitis B or C infection

Permanent

People who have ever had hepatitis due to a virus or tested positive for hepatitis B or C cannot donate blood.

Hepatitis, exposure to

Temporary

People must wait 12 months after possible exposure (for example, living with or having sex with a person with hepatitis, being incarcerated in a correctional facility for more than 72 hours, or having a human bite that broke the skin).

High blood pressure

Temporary

People can donate after their blood pressure is controlled.

Possible exposure to prion diseases, such as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (also called mad cow disease)

Permanent

Exposure may occur when

People have used insulin derived from cows.
People have spent time in Europe since 1980 (ranging from more than 3 months to 5 years, depending on the country)
U.S. military personnel who lived on bases in Europe for more than 6 months during 1980–1996.

Malaria or exposure to malaria

Temporary

People must wait 1–3 years.

Pregnancy

Temporary

People must wait 6 weeks after giving birth.

Major surgery if recent

Temporary

—

Transfusions

Temporary or permanent

People who received a transfusion in the United States must wait 3 months.

People who received a transfusion in the United Kingdom, Ireland, or France since 1980 cannot donate blood permanently.

Vaccines (some)

Temporary

How long people have to wait depends on the vaccine.

Zika virus infection

Temporary

For recent Zika virus infection, the U.S. FDA recommends people wait 120 days from the day symptoms resolve or from the last positive test result, whichever is longer.

Data from The U. S. FDA May 2023 Guidance document: Recommendations for Evaluating Donor Eligibility Using Individual Risk-Based Questions to Reduce the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission by Blood and Blood Products.

FDA = Food and Drug Administration; HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; PrEP = pre-exposure prophylaxis; PEP = post-exposure prophylaxis.

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Blood Donation Process