Blood donation: who can donate blood after March 16?

[Mise à jour le 14 février 2022 à 12h21] The level of blood reserves in France is below the safety thresholdalert theFrench blood establishment (EFS). He missing 30,000 blood bags to achieve the security level of 100,000 pockets to meet the regular needs of transfusion in France. Following the signing of a decree on January 12, the conditions for donating blood will change from March 16, 2022. The reference to sexual orientation disappears, inform a press release from the Ministry of Health. Thus, the men who have sex with men will be able to donate blood. “In 2013, as a parliamentarian, I raised this issue of the discrimination of people on their sexual orientation, of its lack of basis. I am proud as minister to put an end to 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 quiztwo questions are also added to clarify that taking pre or post exposure to HIV treatment lead to a adjournment of the candidate for a period of 4 months from the last dose of the treatment. The list of drugs the use of which leads to a postponement has also been updated. What quantity can we give? What does the survey ? What test To do ? A practical guide to donating blood.

Can I donate blood if I have had Covid?

You cannot go to a blood drive to donate blood if:

• you have tested positive for Covid-19 or have symptoms. You will need to wait 14 days after symptoms disappear or after testing positive before you can donate blood;
• if you are not vaccinated and if you are in contact with a person with Covid-19. You will have to wait 14 days after the last contact;
• if you are asymptomatic although tested positive for Covid-19. 14 days of delay are necessary before coming to the center.

Definition: what is blood donation?

Blood donation is done by an intravenous sampleso it is not not more painful than a simple blood test. In the case of whole blood donation, once the sample has been taken, at the 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 awaiting need. Blood donation by apheresis involves the separation of cells at the time of collection, those that are not wanted being reinjected into the donor.

What are the conditions for donating blood in France?

The conditions for being a donor are as follows:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 70 (after age 60, the donation is subject to the approval of an EFS collection doctor. For a plasma or platelet donation, you must be between the ages of 18 and 65.
• Do not be fasting
• be fit
• Weigh at least 50 kg
• Not be pregnant or have given birth for less than 6 months.
• Absence of recent surgery (within the last 4 months)
• Not having taken an antibiotic during the last 2 weeks, nor having had an infection during the last 6 days (angina, bronchitis, fever, rhino…).
• Not having had dental care 3 days prior to the donation.
• Not having had a piercing or tattoos in the last 4 months preceding the donation.
• Not having used drugs.

► Eligibility test EFS online

Until what age can you donate blood?

Blood donation is possible in France from 18 to 70 years. After age 60, donation is subject to approval by an EFS collection physician. For a plasma or platelet donationyou must be between the ages of 18 and 65 years.

What is the minimum weight to donate blood?

It is necessary weigh at least 50 kg to be able to donate blood.

Can gay people donate blood?

Yes, from March 16, 2022, all French people, regardless of their sexual orientation, will be able to give blood. Thus, the men who have sex with men will be able to donate blood. 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 that have recently experienced similar developments, in particular the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada and Israel. “The residual risk of a donation being potentially infected with HIV when the biological markers of the infection are not yet present was 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 steadily decreased over the years. explains the HCSP in its opinion of January 2022.

How much blood do we donate?

The amount of blood collected during a donation is between 420 and 480 ml. This volume is taken according to the gender and the weight of the donor (+/- 7ml of blood per kilo) but is always less than 10% of overall blood volume.

When is the best time to donate blood?

It is advisable to respect a period of fourteen days after the end of a drug treatment (antibiotics, corticosteroid tablets, etc.). It is advisable toavoid engaging in activities that cause fatigue or at 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 background to be certain of not being excluded from the ability to donate blood.

What are the questions of the EFS questionnaire?

Unfortunately, not all people of good will are eligible to donate blood. 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 clarify that taking pre or post exposure to HIV treatment lead to a adjournment of the candidate for a period of 4 months from the last dose of the treatment.

What is the maximum number of blood donations per year?

For men, 6 blood donations are authorized each year. For women, 4 blood donations are authorized each year. A minimum period of 8 weeks is necessary between 2 whole blood donations, the time necessary for the blood cells to regenerate.

What are the contraindications to blood donation?

The first condition for donating blood is to be in perfect health. It is therefore prohibited in cases of severe fatigue, anemia, insulin-dependent diabetes or treatment for epileptic seizures. The pregnant women also cannot give up to six months after delivery. The contraindications for donating blood are as follows:

• Treatment including taking antibiotics in progress or stopped for less than 14 days.
• Taking certain medications such as Roaccutane®.
• Infection or fever over 38°C less than 2 weeks old.
• Recent contact with a person suffering from a contagious disease (the delay then varies according to the incubation period).
• History of malaria (up to 3 years after the last crisis).
• Vaccine less than 4 weeks old (BCG, yellow fever, measles, rubella, mumps).
• Surgical intervention or endoscopic examination in the last 4 months.
• Dental care due to a risk of bacteria passing through the blood (delay varying from 24 hours after the treatment of a cavity or a scaling to a week after a tooth extraction or a root treatment).
• Active blood-borne infections: viral hepatitis, syphilis, HIV or HTLV infection, Chagas disease, etc.
• Treatment with growth hormones before 1989.
• Family history of prion disease, history of corneal or dura mater transplant, history of brain or eye surgery before April 2001 and history of transfusion or transplant.
• Tattoos or piercings (including earrings) less than 4 months old.
• Acupuncture or mesotherapy when not performed with personal or single-use needles within the last 4 months.
• History of intravenous or intramuscular drug or doping substance use.
• Travel-related contraindications (see below)
• Sexual relationship with several different partners in the last 4 months. This contraindication does not apply to women who have sex only with women.
• Sex in exchange for money or drugs in the last 12 months.
• Sexual relationship with a partner who has had more than one sexual partner in the last 4 months
• Sexual relationship with a partner who has positive serology for HIV, viral hepatitis B or C, in the last 12 months.
• Sexual relationship with a partner who has used drugs or doping substances or who has had sex in exchange for money or drugs in the last 12 months.

What are the contraindications related to travel?

• Stay in a region where certain diseases can be rampant (Tropics, Latin America, Near and Middle East, etc.) within a period that can vary from 1 to 4 months depending on the country visited.
• Stays in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 for a cumulative duration of more than one year. The purpose of this measure is to eliminate any risk of transmission of “mad cow disease”.

Can you donate blood if you have a piercing or a tattoo?

There exists a temporary contraindication for 4 months after having had a piercing or a tattoo. In fact, as soon as needles or sharp objects cross the skin, there is a risk of viral or bacterial transmission. Even if in most cases, these acts are performed with single-use needles and under optimal sterilization conditions, they are nevertheless 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 detected by the screening test.

Where to give blood ?

French blood establishments sampling campaigns. Trucks travel from city to city to take the samples. To have access to 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 the history of their donations, select collection locations and choose how to be contacted by the EFS. Available on the website donors.efs.sante.fr, it offers better information and better follow-up for all donors who take action. For those who have never donated blood, they will be able to fill out an online donation pledge and then be invited to a blood drive. An application for blood donors will be available by the end of the year