Eligibility Criteria for Blood Donors

• Donors must be between 17 and 70 years old (Those who are 17 years old must have parental consent).
• First-time donors must be under 60 years old.
• Donors aged 60-65 must be regular donors and can donate every 3 months at the National Blood Centre, mobile units, and regional blood centres.
• Donors aged 65-70 must also be regular donors and can donate every 6 months, but they cannot donate at mobile units.

• Weight: At least 45 kilograms.

• Donors should feel well and be in good health, ready to donate blood.
• Donors must be physically and mentally prepared and able to perform daily activities without unusual symptoms, such as fatigue from lack of sleep or intoxication from alcohol or other substances.

• Donors should have had a good night’s sleep, resting for at least 5 hours. While 8 hours is ideal, a minimum of 5 hours of quality sleep is sufficient to feel refreshed and maintain normal functioning.

• Donors should avoid high-fat foods and beverages for at least 6 hours before donating. High-fat foods (e.g., chicken rice, pork knuckle rice) and high-fat beverages (e.g., sweetened condensed milk, cream) can cause the donor’s plasma to appear cloudy and unsuitable for patient use. Donors must not fast and should eat regular meals before donating.

• Diabetes: If you can medically control your diabetes without the use of insulin and without any complications, you can donate blood.
• High Blood Pressure: If your blood pressure measurements are below 160 systolic and below 100 diastolic, and you have no complications, you can donate blood.
• High Cholesterol: You can donate blood if you do not experience any complications, such as cerebrovascular disease or coronary artery disease.
• Hyperthyroidism: You can donate blood if you are no longer under treatment and have not taken hyperthyroidism medications for the past 2 years. If you have been diagnosed with cancer or an autoimmune disorder, you are not eligible to donate blood.
• Hypothyroidism: Individuals with an underactive thyroid who are on maintenance therapy must be stabilized for at least 8 weeks before donation. This means that your medications and/or treatments must remain the same during this period.
• Epilepsy: If you have been off epilepsy-related medications for at least 3 years and can provide a letter from your doctor as proof, you can donate blood.
• Cancer: All cancer patients are not eligible to donate blood, even if they have fully recovered.
• Tuberculosis: If you have completed all of your tuberculosis treatment courses and have been off medications for at least 2 years, you can donate blood.
• Asthma: People with asthma can donate blood as long as their medications do not involve the use of steroids. If you experience symptoms on the day of your donation, please reschedule your appointment or come in on a day when you are feeling well.

• You should refrain from consuming alcohol for 24 hours both before and after donating blood, as alcohol can affect the circulatory system and lead to dehydration. It may also slow down recovery after donation, increasing the risk of complications. For those who regularly consume alcohol, liver function may be impaired, making it harder for the body to eliminate alcohol from the bloodstream. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid drinking for 7 days before donating. If you have a history of chronic alcoholism, you should refrain from donating blood permanently.

Individuals who are pregnant should temporarily refrain from donating blood, as blood is vital for the growth and development of the fetus. Donating blood during pregnancy can lead to anemia and may increase the risk of miscarriage. If you are breastfeeding, you should also avoid donating blood. Blood contains essential nutrients necessary for milk production, and the demands of breastfeeding may result in insufficient sleep and fatigue. You may donate blood once you have weaned your child.

• Following childbirth—whether by vaginal delivery or cesarean section—as well as after a miscarriage, there can be considerable blood loss. For this reason, it is important to refrain from donating blood for 6 months, allowing your body to replenish its red blood cell levels to a normal state.

• Definition:
  • “Partner” refers to anyone you are sexually active with, regardless of sex, gender, or sexuality.
  • “Multiple Partners” indicates that you have more than one sexual partner, irrespective of sex, gender, or sexuality.
  • Sexual Risk Behaviors: You engage in risky sexual behaviors if you:
  • Have more than one sexual partner.
  • Have had sexual contact with a sex worker.
  • Have been intimate with someone who has been or may have been exposed to sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
  • Have had sexual contact with a drug user or someone using intravenous medications without a doctor’s prescription.

*This definition applies regardless of whether any form of protection was used during sexual activity.

Sexual behavior is a significant factor in determining whether a person should temporarily or permanently refrain from donating blood.

1. If your gender identity or preferred sexual orientation differs from the sex assigned at birth, your donation eligibility will consider your sexual behavior, not your physical appearance. For example, if you are transgender and do not engage in risky sexual behaviors, you are eligible to donate blood.
2. If you have only one sexual partner and no risky sexual behaviors, you are eligible to donate blood.
3. If you have a new sexual partner or have recently changed partners, you must wait at least 4 months before donating blood.
4. If you have multiple sexual partners, you must wait at least 4 months after your last sexual encounter before donating blood. However, if you have multiple partners due to religious beliefs and engage in none of the aforementioned risky behaviors, you are still eligible to donate.
5. If you or your partner engage in risky sexual behaviors, you must wait 4 months after your last sexual encounter before donating blood.

* If you are a man who has sex with other men, you are not eligible to donate until scientific studies confirm that it is safe to do so. Ongoing studies are in progress. Donation requests must include individual donor nucleic acid testing (ID-NAT).*

• HIV medications—specifically PrEP and PEP—can reduce the level of HIV nucleic acids to the point where the virus becomes undetectable using a highly sensitive gene-based method known as Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT). This can make laboratory tests ineffective and inaccurate. To ensure the safety of blood recipients, the waiting periods for individuals taking HIV medications before they can donate blood have been extended.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a regimen of HIV medications taken by HIV-negative individuals to prevent infection. It is intended for those at risk of contracting HIV through sexual activity, injection drug use, or other high-risk behaviors.

Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is a short-term course of HIV medications taken shortly after potential exposure to the virus to prevent it from establishing an infection in the body.

• If you have taken PEP or PrEP orally, you must wait 1 year after your last pill before donating blood.
• If you have received PEP or PrEP via injection, you must wait at least 2 years after your last injection before donating blood.

• You should wait 3 days after having a tooth filling or scaling before donating blood. There is a risk of infection during and after dental procedures, and even if you are asymptomatic, you could still transmit infections to blood recipients.
• If you have had a tooth extraction or root canal treatment, you must wait up to 7 days before donating blood to ensure that your wounds have fully healed.

• Watery and more frequent bowel movements are commonly linked to food poisoning. If your diarrhea is due to toxins and is non-infectious, you should wait 7 days after your symptoms have resolved before donating blood.
  

If you are experiencing infectious diarrhea and have been prescribed antibiotics, it is recommended to wait 7 days after your last antibiotic dose before donating blood.

• If you have a body part pierced using proper aseptic techniques at a certified hospital, you can donate blood immediately. However, if the piercing is performed at a non-hospital facility, you must wait 4 months, provided you test negative for HIV and Hepatitis B and C using Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT). If you do not have NAT results, the waiting period extends to 1 year.

• Minor Surgery: This refers to any invasive procedure that involves the removal of only skin, mucous membranes, or connective tissue, typically performed under local anesthesia with minimal blood loss. An example of a minor surgery is abscess drainage. You need to wait 7 days after a minor surgery before donating blood.
• Major Surgery: This involves more extensive procedures that may require general anesthesia and respiratory support. You must wait at least 6 months after a major surgery before you can donate blood. Examples of major surgeries include spinal fusion and laparoscopy. If a blood transfusion was part of your surgery, the waiting period extends to at least 1 year.
  If you have undergone dilation and curettage (D&C), you must wait 1 month if the procedure was performed without anesthesia and was not related to a miscarriage. If anesthesia was used, you need to wait up to 6 months before donating blood.

• If you have received blood or blood components, you must wait up to 1 year before donating blood. While the risk of infection from a blood transfusion is very low, this waiting period is in place for safety reasons.

• If you have undergone an organ or stem cell transplant, you are not eligible to donate blood. After a successful organ transplant, you will need to take immunosuppressant or anti-rejection medications to prevent your immune system from attacking the donor organ. These medications can pose risks to an expectant mother, potentially causing birth defects or harming the fetus.

For stem cell transplants, also known as bone marrow transplants, most patients are treated for hematologic diseases. Even though they may not require immunosuppressants, if you have had a hematologic condition that necessitated a bone marrow transplant, you should refrain from donating blood. However, if you have had a cornea transplant, you may be eligible to donate blood after a resting period of 1 month.

• If you have been punctured by a blood-stained needle, you must wait 1 year before donating blood. This waiting period ensures that the “window period” has passed, allowing time to confirm that you have not contracted any bloodborne diseases from the needlestick injury.

• If you had Hepatitis A before the age of 11 and have since fully recovered, you are eligible to donate blood.
• The two most common hepatitis viruses affecting adults and children over the age of 11 are Hepatitis B and C. If you contract either of these after turning 11, you are not eligible to donate blood. However, if your liver inflammation was caused by something other than a hepatitis virus and you have a medical certificate to confirm this, you may donate.

• Having close contact with hepatitis increases your risk of contracting Hepatitis B or C. Therefore, you should refrain from donating blood for 1 year to ensure that you are not carrying the virus, which could be transmitted to blood recipients.

• If you have ever tested positive as a carrier of Hepatitis B, you should refrain from donating blood permanently, even if recent tests show no presence of the virus. This is to prevent the transmission of the virus to blood recipients.

• If you have been diagnosed with malaria, you must refrain from donating blood for 3 years after you have fully recovered from the illness.

• If you have traveled to a malaria-endemic region for a short period, such as for tourism, you should wait 1 year before donating blood. This precaution is necessary because malaria remains a concern in Thailand, with outbreaks in various areas, especially in forested regions where mosquito vectors thrive. Additionally, there are no available laboratory tests to screen for malaria in donated blood. Consequently, thorough assessment through questionnaires and interviews is essential.

• Influenza: Wait 2 weeks after recovery before donating blood.
• Dengue Fever: Wait 1 month after recovery before donating blood.
• Chikungunya: Wait at least 6 months after recovery and once joint pain has resolved before donating blood.
• Zika Virus: Wait 6 months before donating blood.
• COVID-19: Follow these guidelines:
  1. If you tested positive for COVID-19 but were asymptomatic, wait at least 7 days after the positive test before donating blood.
  2. If you had COVID-19 symptoms, wait 14 days after recovery and once all symptoms have resolved before donating blood.

Note: Guidelines may be updated based on the evolving COVID-19 situation.

• Influenza: If you have had the flu, wait 2 weeks after recovery before donating blood.
• Dengue Fever: If you have had dengue fever, wait 1 month after recovery before donating blood.
• Chikungunya: If you have had chikungunya, wait at least 6 months after recovery and once you no longer have joint pain before donating blood.
• Zika Virus: If you have had the Zika virus, wait 6 months before donating blood.
• COVID-19: Follow these guidelines:
  1. If you tested positive for COVID-19 but did not show any symptoms, wait at least 7 days after testing positive before donating blood.
  2. IIf you had COVID-19 with symptoms, wait 14 days after recovery and once you have no lingering symptoms before donating blood. (Note: Information may change based on the current situation of COVID-19.)

• Tetanus and Rabies Vaccines: Wait 24 hours before donating blood, as long as you do not experience any side effects from the vaccine.
• Hepatitis B Vaccine: Wait 21 days after receiving the vaccine.
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chickenpox, and Shingles Vaccines: Wait 4 weeks before donating blood, provided you do not experience any side effects.
• Cervical Cancer, Influenza, Pneumonia, and Hepatitis A Vaccines: Wait 24 hours before donating blood, as long as you do not have any side effects.
• COVID-19 Vaccine: If you received a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration, you must wait 2 days before donating blood, provided you do not develop any side effects. If you experience side effects, wait between 7 and 14 days, depending on the severity of the reactions.

• Potential donors must refrain from using drugs and controlled substances prior to donating blood. If you have a history of intravenously injecting narcotics, you are ineligible to donate. Narcotic substances can alter mental states by affecting the brain and nervous system, making eligibility assessments unreliable and potentially putting both the donor and recipients at risk.

If you have taken narcotics orally, you must be drug-free for at least 1 year before you can donate, provided you are physically and mentally healthy. There will be inquiries to confirm your complete abstinence from narcotics. If you are unsure when you last used narcotics, you will be indefinitely ineligible to donate.

For marijuana, cannabis, hemp, or Kratom, regardless of how they were consumed, the following guidelines apply:

• If you use these substances regularly (at least once a week), you must wait 7 days after your last use before donating blood.
• If you use them occasionally, you must wait 24 hours.

On the day of your donation, you should not experience any dizziness or psychiatric symptoms, as these can pose risks during and after the blood draw.

Potential adverse effects of marijuana and cannabis include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and loss of balance, which can lead to fainting. The severity of these side effects may vary based on the quantity consumed and the method of consumption; effects from oral consumption typically last longer than those from smoking.

• If you spent more than 72 hours in a prison or correctional facility, you may have been at risk for contracting HIV, HBV, or HCV. You must wait at least one year after your release before you can donate blood.

• You should avoid donating blood until you determine the causes of these unexplained symptoms. These signs may indicate the early stage of HIV or other serious conditions. If HIV is identified as the cause of these symptoms, you will not be eligible to donate.

• Those who have lived in the United Kingdom, France, or Ireland can donate whole blood, which can be used to extract red blood cells with reduced white blood cell content (LDPPC). However, if you have a history of illness or a family history of CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease), you should refrain from donating blood permanently.

• No visible skin lesions or rashes present on the body.