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Eligibility Guidelines for UC Berkeley Blood Drives
Contents:
Basic Eligibility Guidelines
Age
You must be at least 17 years old to donate to the general blood supply.
There is no upper age limit for blood donation as long as you are well
with no restrictions or limitations to your activities.
Weight
Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds to be eligible for blood donation
for your own safety. Blood volume is in proportion to body weight. Donors
who weight less than 110 pounds may not tolerate the removal of the
required volume of blood as well as those who weigh more than 110 pounds.
There is no upper weight limit as long as your weight is not higher
than the weight limit of the donor bed/lounge you are using. You can
discuss any upper weight limitations of beds and lounges with your local
health historian.
Blood Pressure, High
Acceptable as long as your blood pressure is below 180 systolic (first
number) and below 100 diastolic (second number) at the time of donation.
Medications for high blood pressure do not disqualify you from donating.
Cold, Flu
Wait if you have a fever or a productive cough (bringing up phlegm).
Wait if you do not feel well on the day of donation.
Wait until you have completed antibiotic treatment for sinus, throat
or lung infection.
Diabetes
Acceptable as long as it is well controlled, whether medication is taken
or not. The type of insulin may be evaluated at the donation screening.
Diet
A meal is recommended at least four hours prior to donation. Drink plenty
of fluids.
Body Piercing
Body piercing is one of the criteria that will be evaluated at the time
of the donation screening.
Tattoo
Tattoo criteria that may be evaluated at the donation screening include
if a donor received a tattoo in a state that regulates tattoo parlors
and the tattoo was done with single use needles and ink.
Hemoglobin
Your hemoglobin (iron) level is checked each time before your blood
donation to determine if it is safe for you to give blood. The adult
minimum daily requirement of iron is 1.8 mg. For further information
about (Hgb) iron requirements and screening process please refer to
Hemoglobin and Iron Requirements.
Men who have sex with other men (MSM)
Men who have had sex with other men (MSM), at any time since 1977 (the
beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the United States) are currently deferred
as blood donors. This is because MSM are, as a group, at increased risk
for HIV, hepatitis B and certain other infections that can be transmitted
by transfusion. For more information, see FDA Policy on Blood Donations
from Men Who Have Sex with Other Men. (http://www.fda.gov/cber/faq/msmdonor.htm)
Travel
People who have recently traveled to or lived abroad in certain countries
may be excluded from donating because they are at risk for transmitting
agents such as malaria or variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD).
You can not donate if:
- you visited or lived in the United Kingdom for more than 3 months
(total) from 1980 to 1996.
- you have spent 5 years of more (total) in Europe since 1980, including
time spent in the U.K. from 1980-1996.
- you lived on a military base in Europe for 6 months or more from
1980-1996.
Other criteria
Other criteria will be assessed at the time of donation and may include
medications, Hepatitis, HIV Risk, and cancer (this list is not all inclusive).
Contact Information
For further information about eligibility and UC- Berkeley Blood drives
please contact a representative from the following Blood Centers.
Back to UC Berkeley Blood Drives>
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