From March 16, 2022, all men regardless of their sexual orientation will be able to donate blood. The list of drugs whose use makes it impossible to donate blood will also be updated. Conditions, test, maximum quantity for a man or a woman, a homosexual person, questionnaire … How to do?
[Mise à jour le 12 janvier 2022 à 12h09] Following the signing of an order on January 12, the conditions for donating blood will change from March 16, 2022. The reference to sexual orientation disappears, inform a Ministry of Health press release. Thus, the men who have sex with men will be able to donate blood. “In 2013, as a parliamentarian, I raised this issue of discrimination against people on the basis of their sexual orientation, of its lack of merit. I am proud as a minister to end it. In March, all French people, whatever their sexuality, will be able to donate blood. This is a great step forward, which we have obtained thanks to an exemplary dialogue with all the associations “ declared Olivier Véran, Minister of Solidarity and Health. In the new questionnaire, two questions are also added to specify that the taking of pre- or post-exposure HIV treatments lead to a adjournment of the candidate for a period of 4 months from the last intake of the treatment. The list of drugs the use of which leads to postponement has also been updated. What quantity can we give? What does the survey ? What test To do ? Practical guide for donating blood.
Blood donation is done by an intravenous sample, it is therefore not more painful than a simple blood test. In the case of whole blood donation, once the sample has been taken, at a rate of 400 ml on average per donor, the separation of the main blood components is carried out. Thus, red blood cells (or red blood cells), platelets and plasma are stored while awaiting needs. Donating blood by apheresis involves the separation of cells at the time of collection, those that are not sought being reinjected into the donor.
The conditions to be a donor are as follows:
- Be between 18 and 70 years old (after 60 years, the donation is subject to the approval of an EFS collecting doctor. To donate plasma or platelets, you must be between 18 and 65 years old.
- Not to be fasting
- Be in good shape
- Weigh at least 50 kilos
- Not to be pregnant or to have given birth for less than 6 months.
- No recent surgery (in the last 4 months)
- Not to have taken an antibiotic during the last 2 weeks, nor to have had an infection during the last 6 days (angina, bronchitis, fever, rhino …).
- Not having had dental treatment 3 days prior to the donation.
- Not having had any piercing or tattoos in the last 4 months preceding the donation.
- Not to have taken drugs.
Yes, from March 16, 2022, all French people regardless of their sexual orientation will be able to donate blood. Thus, the men who have sex with men will be able to donate blood. The General Management relied on the work carried out by the High Council of Public Health (HCSP) themselves based on epidemiological data produced by Public Health France and by countries which have recently experienced similar developments, in particular the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada and Israel. “The residual risk that a donation is potentially infected with HIV when the biological markers of infection are not yet present has been estimated over the period 2018-2020 at 1 / 11,600,000 donations, which represents 1 donation potentially infected with HIV every 4 years. This residual risk has continued to decrease over the years “ explains the HCSP in its opinion of January 2022.
The amount of blood collected during a donation is between 420 and 480 ml. This volume is taken according to the sex, and the weight of the donor (+/- 7ml of blood per kilo) but is always less than 10% of the total blood volume.
It is advisable to respect a deadline of fourteen days after the end of drug treatment (antibiotics, corticosteroids in tablets …). It is advisable to avoid engaging in activities that cause fatigue or risk such as prolonged driving or prolonged standing, in the hours following a blood donation. It is obviously necessary to have answered the questionnaire concerning his antecedents to be sure not to be excluded from the capacity to donate blood.
Unfortunately, not all goodwill are eligible for blood donation. One questionnaire available on the EFS website allows you to know if you are still able to donate blood, based on your medical history. This questionnaire will be updated from March 2022, two questions will be added to specify that the taking of pre- or post-exposure HIV treatments lead to a adjournment of the candidate for a period of 4 months from the last intake of the treatment.
For men, 6 blood donations are authorized each year. For women, 4 blood donations are authorized each year. A minimum of 8 weeks is necessary between 2 donations of whole blood, the time necessary for the blood cells to regenerate.
The first condition for donating blood is to be in perfect health. It is therefore prohibited in the event of severe fatigue, anemia, insulin-dependent diabetes or treatment for epileptic seizures. The pregnant women cannot donate either for up to six months after childbirth.
In addition, in certain cases, it is necessary to respect a delay before being able to donate blood :
- After the end of treatment with antibiotics: 7 days
- After dental treatment: 7 days (except caries care: 1 day)
- After an infectious episode: 14 days after symptoms stop
- After a piercing or tattoo: 4 months
- After a trip to a country where malaria is rife (malaria, etc.): 4 months
- After surgery: 4 months
In addition, donation is prohibited for any donor suffering from a viral disease transmissible by blood: syphilis, viral hepatitis B and C, HIV.
There exists a Temporary contraindication of 4 months after having had a piercing or tattoo. In fact, as soon as needles or sharp objects pass through the skin, there is a risk of viral or bacterial transmission. Even if in most cases, these procedures are performed with single-use needles and under optimal sterilization conditions, the fact remains that they are considered to be risky situations. After 4 months, it is possible to donate blood. And for good reason: if there has been transmission, the virus will be revealed by the screening test.
French blood establishments are sampling campaigns. The trucks move from town to town to take samples. To have access to the calendars and places to donate blood, it is necessary to contact EFS, Etablissement français du sang. Launched on the occasion of the World Blood Donor Day, the EFS online donor space allows everyone to access their donation history, select collection locations and choose how to be contacted by the EFS. Accessible on the website donors.efs.sante.fr, it offers better information and better follow-up for all the donors who mobilize. For those who have never donated blood, they can fill out a pledge online to then be invited to a blood drive. An application for blood donors will be available by the end of the year
For more information on donating blood: consult website or call the toll free number: 0 800 10 99 00. |