Donating blood is a precious gift that can help many patients. While it is true that contraindications exist and lead to postponements, it should be noted that 80% of them are temporary. Let us disentangle the truth from the false on the conditions of access to the donation of blood.

1. Blood donation is possible at 18 years of age provided they weigh more than 50 kg.

TRUE. These are the first conditions to be eligible for a blood donation.

2. I will no longer be able to donate blood after 65 years of age.

FALSE. Blood donation is perfectly possible at age 65, and this up to the age of 70. It will simply be subject to the approval of a doctor from the French Blood Establishment (EFS).

3. I cannot donate blood because I was sick last month.

FALSE. After an illness such as a cold or gastroenteritis, it is not possible to donate blood immediately. On the other hand, you are again fit 15 days after recovery. Following treatment with antibiotics, a withdrawal period of 14 days is necessary. For other types of illnesses and treatments, the EFS healthcare professionals will provide you with information in the blood drives.

4. I cannot donate blood because I am allergic.

RIGHT WRONG. Only an allergy to a product used during the collection constitutes a definitive contraindication to donating blood. Taking certain medications to treat allergies, such as oral or injected steroids, can cause a delay of 15 days.

5. If I have surgery, I will no longer be able to donate blood.

FALSE. It is still possible to donate blood after an operation or endoscopy. A waiting period of 7 days to 4 months depending on the intervention is simply necessary before being able to make a donation.

6. Blood donation is not possible for diabetics.

RIGHT WRONG. Only diabetics who have been treated with insulin cannot donate blood. If this is not the case, you can perfectly go to a collection point.

7. I can donate blood after vaccination.

RIGHT WRONG. It depends on the type of vaccine. A 4 week delay is required after live attenuated vaccines, which include those against yellow fever, chickenpox, rubella, measles, mumps, tuberculosis and rotavirus. Otherwise, a blood donation is possible immediately for other types of vaccines such as the flu vaccine for example.

8. I cannot donate blood if I am pregnant.

TRUE. As a precaution, pregnant women cannot donate blood. They can be fit again 6 months after childbirth.

9. I can donate blood if I have a piercing or tattoo.

TRUE. It is quite possible to donate blood in these cases as long as you wait 4 months. This waiting period applies regardless of the location of the tattoo or piercing.

10. I have to wait until next year to make a second blood donation.

FALSE. It is possible to make several blood donations per year within the limit of 4 donations per year for a woman and 6 donations per year for a man. The necessary interval between two donations is only 8 weeks. Regarding the donation of platelets and the donation of plasma, the waiting periods are respectively 4 weeks and 2 weeks.

You can test your donation skills on the following page: dondesang.efs.sante.fr/test-aptitude-au-don.