Blood & Platelet Center

Blood Donor Education Materials

MAKING YOUR BLOOD DONATION SAFE
PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION BEFORE YOU DONATE!

We know that you want to help make the donation process safe for yourself, our staff and the patients that might receive your blood. In order for this to happen, we must assess any risks that could affect you or a patient receiving a transfusion. It is essential that you answer each question honestly, completely and accurately. If you do not understand a question or have any questions about the process, ask a blood donor center staff. All information you provide and/or discuss is confidential.

To determine if you are eligible to donate we will:

  • Ask about your health and travel history.
  • Ask about medicines you are taking or have taken.
  • Ask about your risk for infections.
  • Take your blood pressure, temperature, and pulse.
  • Evaluate the amount of hemoglobin in your blood.

If you are eligible to donate, we will:

  • Clean your arm with an antiseptic. Please tell us if you have any skin allergies.
  • Use a new, sterile, disposable needle to collect your blood.

Donor Eligibility – Specific Information

  • You must be at least 17 years of age; 16-year-old donors must have a valid UCLA Blood & Platelet Center parental consent signed by a parent or guardian.
  • We will ask specific questions about sexual contact because certain diseases, such as HIV (which is the virus that causes AIDS) and viral hepatitis, can be spread through sexual contact and enter your bloodstream.

What we mean by “sexual contact”
The words “sexual contact” and “sex” are used in some of the questions we will ask you and apply to all of the activities below, whether or not medications, condoms or other protection were used:

  • Vaginal sex (contact between penis and vagina)
  • Oral sex (mouth or tongue on someone’s vagina, penis or anus)
  • Anal sex (contact between penis and anus)

A “new sexual partner” includes the following examples:

  • Having sex with someone for the first time 

    OR 

  • Having had sex with someone in a relationship that ended in the past, and having sex again with that person in the last 3 months.

HIV/Hepatitis Risk Behaviors
HIV and hepatitis are spread mainly by sexual contact with an infected person OR by sharing needles or syringes used by an infected person to inject drugs.
DO NOT donate if you have these symptoms, which can be present during an unknown HIV or viral hepatitis infection:

  • Fever
  • Enlarged lymph glands
  • Sore throat
  • Rash

Your blood can transmit infections, including HIV, even if you feel well and all your tests are normal. This is because even the best tests cannot detect the virus for a period of time after you are infected. 

If you think you may be at risk for HIV or any other infection, DO NOT donate simply to get tested. If asked, we can provide you with information on testing programs outside the blood donor center.

DO NOT donate if you:

  • Are currently pregnant.
  • Have ever had a positive test for HIV infection.
  • Have lived with or had sexual contact in the past 3 months with someone who has hepatitis.
  • Have used needles to inject drugs, steroids, or anything not prescribed by your doctor IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS.
  • Have received money, drugs, or other payment for sex IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS. 
  • Have had sexual contact IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS with anyone who has ever had a positive test for HIV infection.
  • Have had sexual contact with a new partner and have had anal sex IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS.
  • Have had sexual contact with more than one partner and have had anal sex IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS.
  • Have had syphilis or gonorrhea or been treated for syphilis or gonorrhea IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS.
  • Have been in juvenile detention, lockup, jail, or prison for 72 hours or more consecutively IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS.
  • Have a history of Ebola virus infection or disease. 
  • Have EVER taken any medication to treat HIV infection.
  • Have taken medication IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS to prevent HIV infection. These medications may be known by you under the following names, PrEP, PEP, TRUVADA, DESCOVY, APRETUDE or YEZTUGO.

Ebola Risk Assessment:
DO NOT DONATE BLOOD if:

  • You have EVER had Ebola disease
  • In the PAST 8 WEEKS, you have lived in, or traveled to, a country (Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda) with an Ebola disease outbreak.
  • In the PAST 8 WEEKS, you have had sexual contact with a person who has EVER had Ebola disease, including a person under investigation in whom diagnosis is pending.
  • In the PAST 8 WEEKS, you have had direct exposure to the body fluids (such as blood, urine, stool, saliva, semen, vaginal fluids or vomit) of a person with Ebola disease, including the body fluids of a person under investigation in whom diagnosis is pending.
  • In the PAST 8 WEEKS, you have you been notified by a public health authority that you may have been exposed to a person with Ebola disease.

Ebola disease is transmitted from human to human by direct contact with the body fluids (such as blood, urine, stool, saliva, semen, vaginal fluids or vomit) of symptomatic individuals. Healthcare workers, and family and friends providing care may have direct exposure to blood or other body fluids of sick patients. If direct exposure occurs, a person is at high risk of developing Ebola disease and must not donate blood or blood components.

PLEASE CONTACT THE DONOR CENTER, if you develop the following symptoms within the 8 week period following donation:
Fever / Severe Headache / Muscle Pain and Weakness / Fatigue
followed by:
Diarrhea / Vomiting / Abdominal Pain / hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Travel to or Residency in Other Countries
Blood donor tests may not be available for some infections that are found only in certain countries. If you have lived in or visited certain countries, you may not be eligible to donate.

What happens after your donation?
To protect patients, your blood is tested for several types of hepatitis, HIV, syphilis and other infections that may be transmitted by blood. The blood center may also perform tests necessary to process your donation, including a screening test for sickle cell trait. If your blood tests positive it will not be given to a patient for transfusion. You will be notified about any positive test result that may disqualify you from donating in the future.
The blood center will not release your test results without your written permission unless required by law (e.g. to the Health Department).
There are times when your blood is not tested. If this occurs, you may not receive any notification and your blood will not be used for transfusion.
UCLA offers a confidential HIV testing program. For information, call the UCLA Care for Families Office at (310) 206-6369. For additional information and free alternative testing sites, call the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) at (800) 232-4636.

Ways to Disqualify Yourself:

  • You may disqualify yourself now without giving any information. Leave now without giving your blood.
  • Talk with the staff who takes your medical history. They can help you with any questions or concerns. All information is confidential.
  • Let us know that we should not give your blood to another person. If after leaving, you feel your blood should not be used, call the numbers listed on your post donation form as soon as possible, preferably within four hours, and tell us in confidence not to use your blood.

Approved and current. Effective starting 7/27/2026. DC-2091 (version 8.0) Blood Donor Education Materials