You might not be able to donate blood if you lived in Europe due to historical concerns about variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), the human form of "mad cow disease," especially related to time spent in the UK and France between 1980-1996, though many rules have recently changed to allow more people to donate. Other potential issues could include travel to malaria-risk areas or receiving blood transfusions in Europe, but the biggest restriction was the vCJD deferral, which is now largely lifted in the U.S. and Australia.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its vCJD guidelines and it means most people who traveled, lived, or had a transfusion in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France from 1980 to present are now eligible to donate blood, as long as they meet all other donor eligibility requirements.
It depends where you've travelled – most commonly, either you may only be able to donate plasma for a period, or you may be able to donate blood or plasma immediately. The best thing to do is double check before you book. Check the travel page to see when you can donate.
This rule was because of the UK outbreak of human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), often known as 'mad cow disease'. It's a fatal disease that can incubate undetected in someone for many years. There's no screening test either, which means we can't test for it in blood donations.
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).
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.
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 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.
Blood donation age limits vary by country, but generally, you must be at least 17 or 18 years old, with first-time donors often having a maximum age (like 75 in Australia, or 65 in the UK) while regular donors can continue past that age if they remain healthy. Key requirements include being in good health, meeting weight criteria (around 50kg/110lbs), and having no recent illnesses or certain risky behaviors, with specific rules for different donation types like plasma.
The most needed blood types are O positive (O+) and O negative (O-), with O positive being needed most frequently because it's the most common and compatible with over 80% of the population, while O negative is the universal donor for emergencies when a patient's type is unknown. Hospitals constantly request O type blood, so donors with O+ and especially O- are critical to maintain supply.
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).
Blood donation age limits vary by country, but generally, you must be at least 17 or 18 years old, with first-time donors often having a maximum age (like 75 in Australia, or 65 in the UK) while regular donors can continue past that age if they remain healthy. Key requirements include being in good health, meeting weight criteria (around 50kg/110lbs), and having no recent illnesses or certain risky behaviors, with specific rules for different donation types like plasma.
Blood Donors who have travelled overseas may be at risk for certain infections (e.g. Malaria, West Nile Virus, Chagas Disease, etc.) that can be transmitted through blood donation.
Flying Safely After Donating Blood
Always wait at least 24 hours, monitor how you feel, and follow FAA fitness guidelines to ensure safe flying.
You must NEVER donate if:
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).
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.
There are fifty people on the entire planet with Rh-negative blood, nicknamed “golden blood,” which is completely devoid of Rh antigens. And there is only one individual known to have Gwada negative blood, which was only discovered earlier this year.
Ronaldo regularly donates blood and has been involved in numerous campaigns to encourage others to do the same. Ronaldo also donates bone marrow after a former team-mate revealed his struggles. Carlos Martins had a son who needed bone marrow and Ronaldo has been a donor since. .
A Golden Arm is a craps player who has rolled dice for over one hour without losing.
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.
Of the eight main blood types, people with Type O have the lowest risk for heart attacks and blood clots in the legs and lungs. This may be because people with other blood types have higher levels of certain clotting factors, which are proteins that cause blood to coagulate (solidify).
With respect to ABO groups, group O is the most common blood group in Aboriginal communities in Northern Australia, such as Cape York, the Northern region and Kimberley. Group A is the second most common blood group in the Aboriginal community, mainly in Central Australia, whereas groups B and AB are uncommon [6].