Yes, you can donate blood with tattoos, but there's a waiting period depending on where you got the tattoo; in Australia, it's just 7 days if done at a licensed parlour (you can even donate plasma immediately), but 4 months if done at an unlicensed place or overseas, to minimize hepatitis risk. The rules have changed to make it easier for inked individuals, recognizing that many with tattoos are excellent potential donors, but proper hygiene in licensed studios ensures safety.
In Australia, you can donate plasma immediately after a tattoo from a licensed parlour, but must wait one week to donate blood or platelets; if the tattoo was from an unlicensed place (in Australia or overseas), the wait for blood/platelets is four months, though plasma is still okay immediately. This rule change from the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood makes it easier to donate while keeping the blood supply safe.
You might be disqualified from donating blood due to illness (cold, flu, infection), certain medications, recent travel to specific areas, recent tattoos/piercings, pregnancy, low iron/blood pressure, certain chronic conditions (like some cancers or heart issues), recent blood transfusions, or high-risk sexual behaviors, with disqualifications being temporary or permanent depending on the reason. Always check with your local blood bank (like the American Red Cross or Lifeblood) for their specific criteria, as rules vary slightly.
Tattoos, piercing and semi-permanent make-up
You have to wait for 120 days before donating blood.
In Australia, you generally cannot donate blood if you're unwell (cold, flu), have certain infections (like HIV, Hepatitis), have had recent tattoos/piercings (wait times apply), have recently travelled to high-risk areas, use certain medications (like anti-clotting drugs), have had specific medical treatments (like melanoma treatment), or have had recent sex with new partners or male partners in certain situations. Age limits also apply (18-60 for new donors, up to 75 for first-timers).
If you got a tattoo in the last three months, it is completely healed, and was applied by a state-regulated facility, which uses sterile needles and fresh ink—and you meet all blood donor eligibility requirements—you can donate blood! The same rules also apply to ear and body piercings.
You should not donate blood if you have certain conditions like HIV, Hepatitis B or C, some cancers, or heart disease, or if you've recently had tattoos/piercings from unregulated places, used non-prescription injection drugs, or engaged in high-risk sexual activity; temporary deferrals exist for things like certain infections, medications, or recent travel, so always check with your local blood bank for specific eligibility criteria.
Golden blood is the rarest kind of blood known in the world. It's also called Rh null blood, and about 43 people have ever been reported to have it. "The name 'golden blood' can sound like this is blood that's somehow more pure or safe for transfusions,” Dr. Otrock shares.
There is no upper age limit for blood donation as long as you are well with no restrictions or limitations to your activities. Those younger than age 17 are almost always legal minors (not yet of the age of majority) who cannot give consent by themselves to donate blood.
The man who saved 2.4 million babies with his blood is James Harrison, an Australian known as the "Man with the Golden Arm," who donated plasma for over 60 years, providing a rare antibody (Anti-D) that prevents RhD-related miscarriage in mothers, saving millions of unborn children. Harrison's rare blood, a result of his own childhood transfusions, contained Anti-D, crucial for making Anti-D immunoglobulin (Anti-D) medication, which acts like an "invisibility cloak" for babies in the womb, preventing their mothers' immune systems from attacking them. He retired in 2018 at age 81, having made over 1,100 donations, leaving a legacy of countless families, including his own grandchildren, who exist because of his selfless giving.
The rarest blood type in Australia, and globally, is Rh-null (Golden Blood), which lacks all Rh antigens and was first discovered in an Aboriginal Australian woman; among common types, AB-negative (AB-) is the rarest, found in about 1% of the population, though specific rare bloods linked to certain ancestries (like Polynesian or Indian) are also exceptionally scarce.
The most needed blood types are O positive (O+) due to its high demand for the most common positive blood type, and O negative (O-) because it's the universal donor for emergencies when a patient's type is unknown, making both vital but often in short supply. Hospitals constantly need all blood types, but O+ is given most often, while O- is critical for trauma and newborns, notes 2, 3, 5, 7 American Red Cross and 1, 3 Australian Red Cross.
The age limit on blood donations was raised from 65 to 70 in 1998. An age limit was put in place as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the donor, but recent evidence from other blood services has shown no harm to donors over the age of 70.
The following medications will prevent you from donating blood:
While the Bible doesn't mention Jesus's blood type, scientific analysis of relics linked to him, like the Shroud of Turin and Eucharistic miracle samples, consistently shows Type AB blood, a rare type, leading some to believe it's a miraculous sign, though skeptics point to potential bacterial contamination.
People with type A blood will react against type B or type AB blood. People with type B blood will react against type A or type AB blood. People with type O blood will react against type A, type B, or type AB blood. People with type AB blood will not react against type A, type B, type AB, or type O blood.
RH Null blood, often referred to as "Golden Blood," is the rarest blood type in the world. It is characterized by the absence of all Rh antigens on the red blood cells. RH Null blood is so rare that fewer than 50 individuals have been identified with it over the past 50 years.
Group AB can donate to other AB's but can receive from all others. Group B can donate red blood cells to B's and AB's. Group A can donate red blood cells to A's and AB's. Group O can donate red blood cells to anybody.
As many donors can tell you, the most common side effect of blood donation is feeling more tired following donation. This is particularly true of whole blood and double red blood cell donations, as they result in temporarily lowered levels of red cells, which carry oxygen in the blood.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has imposed a ban on blood donations from anyone who has spent more than six months in Britain from 1980 to 1997 because of the possible risk of transmitting the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).
Yes, you can donate blood with tattoos, but there's often a waiting period after getting a new one, typically 3 months in the U.S. (especially if from an unregulated state) or 7 days in Australia if done at a licensed parlor, with plasma often available sooner; the key is the safety and regulation of the place where you got inked, so always check with your local blood bank.
Studies have found that people with Type A or Type AB are at higher risk for gastric cancer. Additionally, if you have Type A, Type B or Type AB blood, you may have a higher risk for pancreatic cancer.
Ichor originates in Greek mythology, where it is the "ethereal fluid" that is the blood of the Greek gods, sometimes said to retain the qualities of the immortals' food and drink, ambrosia and nectar. Ichor is described as toxic to humans, killing them instantly if they came in contact with it.
An AB personality's negative traits can include being self-centered, irresponsible, vulnerable, indecisive, forgetful, unforgiving, and critical. Famous people with AB blood types include Barack Obama, Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Chan, and John F. Kennedy.