Changes to donation criteria

Latest updates, May 8, 2019:

• Based on Health Canada approval, the blood donation eligibility criteria for men who have sex with men is being reduced from one-year to three-months. This change takes effect on June 3, 2019 across Canada. Read more.

August 27, 2018:

• Heart conditions - If you have a heart condition such as a coronary artery disease or past heart attack, you may be able to donate after in the next 12 months if:
  • You haven't had any symptons
  • You don't have any physical restrictions
  • You haven't had surgery or medical procedures for your condition.
• Malaria risk areas -- Malaria areas have been updated. Some previously unacceptable destinations no longer have deferral periods. Visit our travel page to see if you are eligible to donate or call us 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283) to check your eligibility.
• Celiac - If you have celiac disease, you are now eligible to donate as long as you are feeling well on the day of your donation appointment.

April 23, 2018:

• Tattoos and piercings - Your temporary deferral period after receiving a tattoo or piercing is now three months. Donors previously had to wait six months before they could become eligible to donate. 
• Microepilation – If you use a personal device for microepilation, you are eligible to donate. We no longer defer donors who have undergone microepilation. 
• Marijuana and alcohol - If you are sober, show no evidence of intoxication and can give an informed consent, you are eligible to donate. Prior to these changes, donors had to wait 12 hours after their resolution of intoxication. Many people believe that they are deferred because of past marijuana use, but that is not the case. 
• Hepatitis, jaundice - There is no longer a lifelong deferral for donors with hepatitis, other than hepatitis B or C. Many cases of hepatitis or jaundice have non-infectious causes or are caused by viruses (other than hepatitis B or C) that are non-infectious once resolved. We are now only asking for your recent history of hepatitis – in the last 6 months. 
• Recipients of blood and blood products (and sexual partners) - You are now eligible to donate blood after six months of receiving your last transfusion of blood or blood products. That previous deferral period was one year. 
  Also, we no longer ask donors or their sexual partners about clotting factor concentrates. In some cases, this allows previously deferred donors and their sexual partners give blood. If you have questions about your eligibility call to speak with one of our trained health professionals at 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283). 
• Epilepsy - You are now eligible to donate blood six months after your last seizure and, even earlier in some cases, if you are on medication to prevent seizures, provided the medication itself is acceptable under our eligibility criteria. You may call us at 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283) to check. 
• Togo or Cameroon - We no longer ask if you or your sexual partner has visited Togo or Cameroon in the past year. This change is thanks to international HIV surveillance and the latest scientific evidence showing these areas are no longer at high risk of variant strains of HIV. Please note, there is still a chance that donors who have recently travelled to these countries may be deferred due to malaria risk.

These changes are safe for patients who rely on blood and blood products. All changes are based on the latest scientific evidence and approved by our regulator Health Canada. 

While maintaining the safety of the blood supply, we aim to make blood donation as minimally restrictive as possible.