Health status and plasma donation

The following criteria must be met by plasma donors:

Allergies

You can give plasma if you feel well, even if you have received an allergy shot.

Cancer

You can give plasma 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 plasma regardless of your cholesterol levels.

Cold

You can give plasma 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 plasma.

Diabetes

You can give plasma if your diabetes is in remission or is controlled by diet or oral medication.

If you inject insulin, click here

Hemochromatosis

You cannot donate plasma 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 plasma if you have symptoms and, if you take antibiotics, until the antibiotic treatment is finished.

Diabetes

You can give plasma 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 plasma 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 plasma 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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