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First Time Donating? What can you expect? CLICK HERE
Wondering, "Can I donate blood?" CLICK
HERE for the Red Cross Donor Eligibility Guidelines.
How often can I donate blood?
 | A healthy person can donate blood every 56 days, or 8 weeks. That's about six times per
year. |
Is there anything I should do to prepare?
| Getting a good night's sleep, having a good breakfast or lunch and drinking plenty of
fluids helps prepare a donor for giving blood. |
Are there other restrictions on donors?
| You must weigh at least 110 pounds (50 kg). |
| You must be at least 17 years of age. Some states (not VT) require a consent form if you
are 17. |
| You must be in good health. You will be asked about any medications you have taken in
the last month, and other questions about your general health. Certain medications and
conditions may cause you to be deferred, even if you are otherwise healthy. The medical
staff at the Blood Center will make these determinations. If you have a specific question,
please call first. |
| More comprehensive Donor Eligibility Guidelines are
available on this website. Your Blood Drive recruiter also has a list of medical
conditions that indicates if you will be deferred on the basis of a given condition, and
finally, you can also call the American Red Cross at 1-800-462-9400 and ask for the nurse
of the day. |
How long does it take?
| With an appointment, your donation will take about an hour. Walk-ins are welcome, but
people with appointments will be taken first and you may wait longer. |
I participate in athletics. Can I safely donate blood?
| Yes, you can give blood safely, just like anyone else in good health. You should observe
the same precautions as all donors after donating blood. It is not a good idea to
participate in a heavy workout or athletic competition immediately after donating. |
What should I do after I donate blood?
| Keep the bandage over your donation site clean and dry for at least four hours. |
| Drink plenty of healthy liquids (water, juices, etc.) for the next 24 hours to replace
the fluid volume you gave. |
| Avoid strenuous or muscular activity (e.g. pushing or lifting heavy objects, heavy
exercise) for at least 4 to 5 hours. |
What is Apheresis?
| An increasingly common procedure is apheresis, or the process of removing a specific
component of the blood and returning the red blood cells to the donor. This process allows
more of a particular component--platelets, for instance--to be drawn in one sitting than
could be separated from a unit of whole blood. Apheresis is also performed to collect
plasma and granulocytes. You can learn more about apheresis donations from the Red Cross
Blood Center (802-658-6400). |
More Facts About Donating
(See also, What Happens to
Donated Blood)
| You absolutely, positively cannot get AIDS or any other disease from giving blood. A
sterile need is used only once and then discarded.
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| The Red Cross only collects blood from voluntary donors.
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| Nationally, only 5% of the population gives blood, supporting the other 95%.
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| 1150 pints of blood must be collected every working day in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine
and Massachusetts to meet patient needs.
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| The summer months and the holidays are difficult times for blood collection. At the same
time, blood usage often increases. Summer and holiday donors are especially valuable.
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| The American Red Cross provides about half the nation's blood supply - roughly six
million pints per year.
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| Over the past three years, one million fewer people have donated blood.
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| Blood is available to any patient who needs it. Patients are not required to find donors
to replace the blood they used. It is a community responsibility.
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