Having low hemoglobin levels is one of the most common reasons individuals are deferred from donating blood.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS DONORS
AGE |
17 years or older or 16 years with a parental consent form |
IDENTIFICATION |
Personal Identification must be presented at time of donation |
HEALTH |
Feeling well the day of donation |
SPECIFIC DONOR REQUIREMENTS FOR DONATION TYPES
| WHOLE BLOOD | DOUBLE RED CELLS | PLATELETS | PLASMA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
WEIGHT |
Male or Female: Teenagers age 16: Male age 17-18: Female age 17-18: |
Mobiles: NDCs: 17-18 year old females are not eligible |
Male or Female: Male age 17-18: Female age 17-18: |
Male or Female: Male age 17-18: Female age 17-18: |
HEIGHT |
Male or Female: |
Mobiles: NDCs: |
Male or Female: |
Male or Female: |
HEMOGLOBIN LEVELS |
Male: > 13.0 g/dL Female: > 12.5 g/dL |
Male: > 13.3 g/dL Female: > 13.3 g/dL |
Male: > 13.0 g/dL Female: > 12.5 g/dL Minimum Platelet Count: 150k µL |
Male: > 13.0 g/dL Female: > 12.5 g/dL |
LAST DONATION |
56 days (8 weeks) from last whole blood donation | 112 days (16 weeks) from last double red cell donation 56 days (8 weeks) from last whole blood donation |
14 days (2 weeks) from last platelet donation, up to 24 times a year 56 days (8 weeks) from last whole blood donation |
28 days (4 weeks) from last plasma donation 56 days (8 weeks) from last whole blood donation |
If your weight exceeds 400 pounds, please call customer service toll-free at: 1 (877) 948-5433
Female blood donors must have a minimum hemoglobin level of 12.5 g/dL and male blood donors must have a minimum of 13.0 g/dL to donate. This required hemoglobin level is set by the FDA for the safety of the donor. A hemoglobin level below 12.5 g/dL for women and 13.0 g/dL for men may be normal for you or it may mean you have a condition call anemia. Your health care provider can best advise you whether treatment is needed.
Even with a normal hemoglobin level, iron levels can be low. The most important thing frequent donors can do to maintain their iron stores is to take a multivitamin with iron or an iron supplement. Our current recommendation is 18-38 mg of iron once a day following each red cell donation. Your physician or pharmacist may be able to assist you in deciding what dose, type and duration of iron supplement to choose.
Ways to make an appointment to donate
- Schedule your donation online.
- Contact us
(713) 791-6373 or cs@giveblood.org
Monday - Friday | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.