Although blood donations can save lives, not everyone should do so.

Can I donate blood even if I feel sick?

Can I can be turned away for not weighing enough?

Can I donate blood after I got a spur-of-the-moment tattoo?

Although your willingness to donate blood will be appreciated, there may be times where your donated blood may not be helpful for those who will receive it. Find out the answers to those questions and more in Wingspan’s list of five reasons why you shouldn’t donate blood.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Donate Blood

1) If you are feeling sick.

You should hold off on donating blood if you do not feel well (having a fever or a cough with a whole lot of phlegm) on the day of your donation appointment. Also, you will have to postpone your appointment if you are exposed to particular viruses such as hepatitis, malaria, measles, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like syphilis or gonorrhea. However, if you have a chronic illness, you may be able to donate blood as most of them are acceptable as long as you feel well, your condition is under control, and you meet all other eligibility requirements.

2) If you don’t weigh enough.

According to general eligibility guidelines from the American Red Cross, you must weigh at least 110 lbs. However, this is no upper weight limit to donate blood. Those with low blood volumes may not be able to handle getting the required amount of blood to be drawn for a donation by being left feeling faint or weakened. There is also an additional height requirement for donors aged 18 years old and younger to do the whole blood donation with 5’6” at least for girls and 5’ at least for boys. 

3) If you just got a tattoo or piercing.

Due to concerns about transferring the hepatitis virus, you will have to wait at least 3 months after getting any treatment that pierces the skin. These include tattoos to piercings to semi-permanent make-up such as microblading.

4) If you’re a man and recently had sex with a man. 

Back in 1985, the FDA placed a blanket ban on blood donation to all men who had sex with other men after 1977 as a way to block the transmission of HIV. Today, that restriction has recently been loosened to address the sharp decline in donors during the coronavirus outbreak. Now, men who have sex with men can donate blood if they haven’t had sex for at least three months. Read more about why gay men might not be eligible to donate blood and the controversy around the policy in an in-depth article on our blog that explores the topic further.

5) If you take certain medications.

In most cases, you can donate blood if you take medication. However, there are a number of drugs that will have you wait a while since your last dose before you can donate blood such as Accutane, HIV prevention medications, and even aspirin (only when donating platelets by aphaeresis!). Check the American Red Cross’s site for an exhaustive list of medications to be mindful of.

TL;DR

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• Blood donations are lifesaving as every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood.

• However, there are a number of cases where you shouldn’t give your blood to someone such as if you do not meet the weight or height requirement.

• Or that you should hold off on making an appointment such as the kinds of medications that you take or if you got a new tattoo.

For in-depth blood donation eligibility requirements, check them out on the American Red Cross’s website. If you are eligible and want to donate blood at this time, we also compiled some things for you to keep in mind when donating blood during a pandemic. 

However, If you find yourself in a position where you shouldn’t donate blood but still want to support a blood drive, Wingspan Health compiled a list of ways you can help without donating blood if shouldn’t donate blood.

Wingspan Health

Wingspan connects to your online doctor accounts (“patient portals”) and safely compiles all of your information into one easy-to-use platform. By accessing and understanding your past health information, Wingspan can help you make use of it.