Not everyone is allowed to donate blood, and that is a good thing. Deferral rules exist to protect you and to protect patients. If you are told you cannot donate—either for now or permanently—it is not a judgment of your character. It simply means donation is not safe at this time.

Temporary reasons to delay donation

These are situations where you might be asked to wait for a certain period before donating:

1.      Recent infections or fever

o   Flu, dengue, COVID‑19, stomach infections, severe throat infections and similar illnesses generally require you to be fully recovered for some days or weeks before donating.

o   If you are taking antibiotics, you usually need to finish the course and then wait a short time.

2.     Recent surgery or major dental work

o   After operations or serious dental procedures, there is a recovery period where the body needs to heal, and there may be infection or blood‑loss risks.

o   The waiting time can range from a few weeks to 12 months depending on the type of surgery.

3.     Pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding

o   Pregnant women should not donate.

o   After delivery, many guidelines recommend waiting at least 6–12 months, and sometimes until breastfeeding is well established or completed.

o   This protects the mother’s iron stores and general health.

4.     Vaccinations, tattoos and piercings

o   After certain vaccines (like typhoid, rabies, some travel vaccines) you may have to wait from 2 weeks to 12 months, depending on the vaccine and local rules.

o   Tattoos and piercings often require a 6–12 month deferral because of infection risk from unsterile equipment.

5.     Recent blood transfusion or high‑risk exposure

o   If you have received a blood transfusion, you may not be allowed to donate for many months or even permanently in some systems.

o   Close contact with hepatitis or other serious infections in the family may require a waiting period, often around 12 months.

Permanent or long‑term deferrals

Some conditions mean that a person should usually never donate blood:

·       Certain heart or serious lung diseases that make the stress of donation unsafe.

·       Some cancers and blood diseases, particularly those that affect blood cells or bone marrow.

·       Confirmed infection with HIV, chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C, or other serious blood‑borne infections.

·       Unexplained weight loss, chronic severe anemia, or bleeding disorders.

·       Long‑term injection drug use or ongoing very high‑risk behaviors for blood‑borne infections.

In these cases, the risk to the donor or to any future patient is too high. Instead of donating blood, such individuals can still support the blood system by encouraging others to donate, volunteering, or helping organize RedLife campaigns.

Emotional side of being deferred

Being told “you cannot donate” can feel disappointing, especially if you came with the desire to help. It is important for your Info Desk content to clearly say:

“If you are deferred, you are still part of the lifesaving community. You can share correct information, support others to donate, and help patients in many other ways.”

This framing keeps users engaged and prevents them from hiding important information just to be allowed to donate.