To give blood you must:

• Be in general good health.
• Be at least 17 years old. (If you are 16 you can donate with a CBC consent form  signed by your parent). There is no upper age limit as long as you have no health restrictions.
• Be at least 5' 4" tall and weigh at least 110 pounds. If you are under 5' 4" you will need to weigh more than 110 pounds to safely donate.
• Have a photo ID. (It's helpful to also have your CBC Donor ID card).

Before donating you should:

• Get a good night's sleep.
• Eat a nourishing meal.
• Drink plenty of fluids.

Donation Type

Frequency

Your Health

• Hepatitis after age 11.
• IV drug use (even one time).
• Anyone with symptoms or laboratory evidence of AIDS or who are considered to have an increased risk for contracting AIDS.
• Malaria (permanent deferral).

Your Travel

• Anyone who has spent more than three months in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, Gibraltar, or the Falkland Islands) from 1980 through 1996, or who have received beef insulin since 1980.
• Since 1980, anyone who has spent five or more years in Europe (including the U.K.).
• Anyone who has spent six months or more associated with military bases in Europe from 1980 through 1996.

Your Health

• Cold or flu symptoms, including a cough, sore throat and/or fever.
• 24 hour deferral period after certain dental work, including root canal, oral surgery, extraction of wisdom teeth. (You must be asymptomatic in all instances and all packing must be removed).
• Pregnancy, miscarriage or abortion. There is a six week deferral period  after delivery or termination
  of pregnancy.
• Blood Transfusion - defer one year.
• Mononucleosis - must be fully recovered. 
• Dental - Packing and sutures must be removed.
• Mononucleosis - Must be fully recovered and no incidence of jaundice.

Your Travel

• Travel to certain countries may prevent you from donating blood, temporarily.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strict policies in place to prevent the theoretical risk of spreading mad cow disease in the blood supply. Check with CBC if you have traveled to the United Kingdom and Europe.
• Travel to Central America, South America, Africa and China can mean a one year deferral due to
  high concentrations of certain diseases,
  including malaria.
• Check with your blood center if you have questions about these common travel-related deferrals.

Your Medications

• Most medications taken within 24 hours
  are acceptable. 
• Antibiotics are not acceptable within 24 hours
  of a donation. (Unless being taken for prevention, e.g. acne or roasacea).
• Consult with a nursing supervisor or mobile blood drive team leader about the deferral period if you have received immunizations or injections.
• If symptom free, there is no deferral period for the flu vaccine or pneumonia vaccine.
• The flu vaccine contains dead viruses and is not cause for deferral.
• Contact CBC for vaccinations other than flu or pneumonia.
• Live vaccines may prevent you from donating blood. You may be deferred for up to one month if you have recently received measles, mumps or rubella vaccinations.
• Shingles, Hepatitis B vaccine and Botox are all one-month deferalls.
• There are multiple vaccines that are two-week deferrals.
• Donors with well-established (not recently diagnosed) diabetes controlled by diet, oral medications and/or insulin therapy are eligible
  to donate.
• Donors with controlled high blood pressure by diet, oral medications are eligible to donate. 

 Your Body Art

• Ear or Body Piercing under non-sterile conditions - one year deferral.
• Tattoo - one year deferral, unless performed in a licensed tattoo parlor in Ohio or Kentucky.