Health status and blood donation
The following criteria must be met by blood donors:
Allergies
You can give blood if you feel well, even if you have received an allergy shot.
Cancer
You can give blood if you have had basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or in situ cervical cancer, as long as it has been treated successfully. Ask Héma-Québec about other types of cancer.
Cholesterol
You can give blood regardless of your cholesterol levels.
Cold
You can give blood if you feel well and don’t have a fever.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
If any of your close relatives (parent, child or sibling) has familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, you cannot give blood.
Diabetes
You can give blood if your diabetes is in remission or is controlled by diet or oral medication.
Hemochromatosis
You cannot donate blood within 7 days following a phlebotomy. To donate, you must also meet all other eligibility criteria, including the required interval between donations. In addition, if you are not eligible to donate for other reasons, your treating physician is responsible for arranging therapeutic phlebotomies in a clinical setting.
Sore throat
You cannot give blood if you have symptoms and, if you take antibiotics, until the antibiotic treatment is finished.
Diabetes
You can give blood if your diabetes is in remission or is controlled by diet or oral medication. If you inject insulin, consult the following details that apply to your situation.
Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes)
You can give blood if:You ate two hours before donating
You haven’t had any serious episodes in the past 3 months
You don’t currently have a foot or leg ulcer
You don’t usually get dizzy or have vertigo while standing
- Type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus)
You can give blood if:You haven’t had any serious episodes in the past 3 months
You don’t currently have a foot or leg ulcer
You don’t usually get dizzy or have vertigo while standing
For other types of diabetes, please ask a Héma-Québec staff member.
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