Suncoast Communities Blood Bank
 
 
 

 

 

Who Can Give Blood?

Anyone who is in good health, is at least 18 years old (persons 16 or 17 years old may donate with a Blood Program consent form signed by a legal guardian), and weighs at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days. Some health conditions or medications may prevent a person from donating blood.

The following list describes the acceptance criteria for some of the more common conditions.

Acupuncture - sterile technique and single use device can donate
Accutane 4 week wait
Allergy or Asthma Medications (without steroids) - if experiencing no symptoms can donate
Antibiotics 24 hours from last dose
Anti-depressants can donate
Aspirin can donate
Avodart 6 month wait
Birth control pills can donate
Blood pressure medicine can donate
Blood transfusion or tissue transplant 12 month wait
Cancer - basal or squamous cell can donate
Cancer - lymphoma or leukemia cannot donate
Cancer - all other types can donate after 1 year"cancer free"
Childbirth - after delivery, miscarriage or abortion 6-week wait
Clotting factor concentrates cannot donate
Colds - fever, sore throat, cough cannot donate
Diabetes - oral medicine can donate
Diabetes - insulin-dependent with doctor's approval can donate
Diet pills can donate
Ear and body piercing - sterile technique and single use device can donate
Human Growth hormone - derived from pituitary gland cannot donate
Heart attack, heart disease, or taking heart medicine can donate with doctor's approval
Hepatitis, after age 11 cannot donate
Herpes or cold sores (without active lesions) can donate
Hormone replacement therapy can donate
I.V. drug use - not prescribed by doctor cannot donate
Jail or prison 12 month wait
Malaria 3 year wait
Male who has had sex with another male cannot donate
Military employee or dependent - spent 6 months or more associated with military base in Europe between 1980 and 1996 check with blood bank
Oral surgery, tooth extraction 3 day wait
Pregnancy cannot donate
Propecia 4 week wait
Proscar 4 week wait
Residence or travel in the U.K. for a total of 3 months or more between 1980 and 1996 cannot donate
Residence or travel in Europe for a total of 5 years or more since 1980 cannot donate
Sex with a person at risk for bloodborne disease (IV drug user, prostitute, person with AIDS) 12 month wait
Soriatane 3 year wait
Surgery (without transfusion) can donate after release from doctor's care
Surgery (with transfusion) 12 month wait
Syphilis or gonorrhea 12 month wait after treatment
Tattoos 1 year wait
Tegison cannot donate
Thyroid medicine can donate
Travel to malaria area 12 month wait
Vaccinations - MMR 4 week wait
Vaccinations - Flu, Hepatitis A and B can donate
Vaccinations - Smallpox 8 week wait
Vitamins can donate
 

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