Basic blood donation eligibility criteria
The 2020 criteria say a donor must be in good health, mentally alert and physically fit. The main requirements are:
| Criterion | Requirement in the 2020 rules |
|---|---|
| Age | Minimum 18 years, maximum 65 years. A first-time donor should not be over 60; for repeat donors the upper limit is 65. Apheresis donors: 18 to 60 years. |
| Weight | At least 45 kg to give 350 ml; more than 55 kg to give 450 ml; 50 kg for apheresis. |
| Haemoglobin | 12.5 g/dL or more. |
| Blood pressure | Systolic 100 to 140 mm Hg and diastolic 60 to 90 mm Hg, with or without medicines, with no sign of organ damage and no change in the medicine or dose in the last 28 days. |
| Pulse | 60 to 100 per minute and regular. |
| Temperature | No fever (afebrile). |
| Meal | Not fasting; the last meal should be at least 4 hours before donation. |
| Alcohol | No signs of intoxication, and not a regular heavy drinker. |
People who are differently abled, or who have difficulty with communication or sight, can donate if clear and confidential communication is possible and they fully understand the process and give valid consent.
How often can you donate blood in India?
The gap between donations is set out in the same criteria:
- Whole blood: once in three months (90 days) for men and once in four months (120 days) for women.
- Apheresis (platelets or plasma): at least 48 hours apart, not more than twice a week and no more than 24 times in a year.
- Switching types: after a whole blood donation, a platelet (plateletpheresis) donation is not accepted for 28 days. After a platelet donation, whole blood is not accepted for 28 days if the red cells were fully returned, or 90 days if they were not.
Before each donation the blood centre checks your haemoglobin. If it is low, you will be asked to wait. A CBC test can show whether you have anaemia, which is worth treating before you try again.
How to donate blood: step by step
If you meet the basic criteria, a donation usually follows these steps:
- Check the basics. Make sure you meet the age, weight and gap rules above and have no current illness or recent deferral reason.
- Eat before you go. Have a normal meal at least 4 hours before donating. Unlike a fasting blood test, you must not donate on an empty stomach, and you should not drink alcohol beforehand.
- Find a licensed blood centre. Go to a licensed blood centre or a camp it organises. e-RaktKosh, the centralised blood centre management system of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is one place to look for blood centres.
- Answer the screening questions honestly. You will register and answer questions about your health, medicines, travel and recent procedures. Tell the staff about anything you are unsure of.
- Have the short check-up. The staff check your weight, haemoglobin, blood pressure, pulse and temperature, and the medical officer decides whether you can donate today.
- Donate and rest. The donation itself takes a short time. Rest afterwards and take the refreshments offered before you leave.
- Note your next date. Write down the date you donated. Men can give whole blood again after 90 days and women after 120 days.
Women donors: pregnancy, breastfeeding and periods
- Pregnancy or recent delivery: wait 12 months after delivery.
- Abortion: wait 6 months.
- Breastfeeding: wait for the whole period of breastfeeding.
- Menstruation: wait until the period is over.
Remember that the interval between whole blood donations is longer for women: 120 days.
Common reasons you may be asked to wait (deferral)
A deferral is a waiting period, not a permanent ban. These are some of the most common ones listed in the 2020 criteria:
| Condition | Waiting period |
|---|---|
| Cold, flu, cough, sore throat or minor illness | Until all symptoms have gone and there is no fever |
| Tattoo, body piercing, acupuncture or other invasive cosmetic procedure | 12 months |
| Malaria | 3 months after full recovery |
| Typhoid | 12 months after full recovery |
| Dengue or chikungunya | 6 months after full recovery; 4 weeks after returning from an area where dengue is common, if you had no fever |
| Major surgery | 12 months after recovery |
| Minor surgery | 6 months after recovery |
| Tooth extraction, or dental surgery under anaesthesia | 6 months |
| Blood transfusion received | 12 months |
| Non-live vaccines such as typhoid, cholera, influenza, HPV, pneumococcal or meningococcal | 14 days |
| Live vaccines such as oral polio, measles, mumps, rubella, yellow fever or Japanese encephalitis | 28 days |
| Anti-rabies vaccine after an animal bite, or hepatitis B immunoglobulin | 1 year |
| Close contact or partner of a person with hepatitis | 12 months |
If you recently had dengue, our dengue test guide explains the tests used to confirm it.
Conditions that may stop you donating
Some long-term conditions lead to permanent deferral under the 2020 criteria. Examples include known hepatitis B or C, heart disease such as coronary artery disease, asthma attacks or asthma treated with steroids, and chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.
Diabetes: a person whose diabetes is well controlled by diet or tablets, with no complications, can be accepted. A person who needs insulin is permanently deferred, and anyone whose diabetes tablets or dose changed in the last 4 weeks must wait. Our HbA1c guide explains how diabetes control is measured.
Thyroid: people with some benign thyroid conditions can donate if their thyroid levels are normal, while others are deferred; anyone still being investigated must wait. A thyroid test report helps the medical officer decide.
The criteria also exclude people considered at risk of infections that can pass through blood, and anyone with a disease that can be transmitted by transfusion, as far as can be found from history and examination. Answer the screening questions honestly; they protect the patient who receives your blood.
Shift workers, drivers and air crew
The criteria say that air crew, long-distance drivers, people in emergency services and others doing strenuous work should not donate within 24 hours before their next duty shift. Night-shift workers should not donate without adequate sleep.