What Happens If I Donate Plasma After Getting A Tattoo?
– Giving blood after recently getting a tattoo can be dangerous. Though uncommon, an unclean tattoo needle can carry a number of bloodborne viruses, such as:
- hepatitis B
- hepatitis C
- HIV
People with new tattoos have traditionally been advised to wait a year before giving blood in order to reduce their risk of unknowingly transmitting these viruses. However, in April 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated their recommendations and proposed a recommended deferral period of 3 months. If you’ve contracted a bloodborne illness, detectable antibodies will likely appear during this 3-month period.
That said, you may be able to donate blood in under 3 months if you got your tattoo at a state-regulated tattoo shop. State-regulated shops are routinely monitored for safe and sterile tattooing practices, so the risk of infection is low.
Some states have opted out of regulation, so don’t hesitate to ask your preferred artist about their qualifications beforehand. It’s best to work with licensed artists who tattoo in state-regulated shops. Oftentimes, their certifications are prominently displayed on the shop walls.
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Can I donate blood or plasma if I have a tattoo?
How long do you have to Wait? – In some cases, you can donate blood immediately after getting your tattoo, but this only applies to those who have got their tattoos from state-regulated entities. In the USA, a person is eligible to donate blood while having a tattoo as long as they get it done from state-regulated tattoo parlors.
- These parlors make sure they use sterilized needles and clean and fresh ink;
- If you haven’t got your tattoo from a state-regulated tattoo parlor, you can still donate blood, but only after a certain period of time;
It takes at least 12 months before you can donate. This is a deferral period that could flush away any possible infections you may have contracted from unsterilized tattoo instruments. That said, a few states do not regulate tattoo facilities, such as New York, Wyoming, Utah, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Georgia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
What happens to your body when you donate plasma?
How long does it take to donate plasma – So, how does it work? It’s similar to simple blood being drawn but with a few differences in terms of eligibility requirements and blood processing. To draw blood, a sterile needle is inserted into one arm at the crook of your elbow.
Then, your blood is sent through a machine that collects your plasma. Your red blood cells and platelets are delivered back into your body along with some saline. Due to this additional process of isolating the plasma and sending back platelets and RBC, donating plasma takes slightly longer than the usual blood.
On average, this entire process takes around one hour and 15 minutes. First-time donors usually take up more time, around two hours. This process is safe and involves little pain as the needle breaks the skin. The nurses or trained volunteers ensure that all donors are comfortable during and after the process.
Why do I have to wait so long to donate plasma?
The reason you have to wait several months before donating plasma is that the tests used to verify that the plasma is clean aren’t looking for the diseases themselves, they look for the anti-bodies produced in reaction to the disease.
Can plasma centers tell if you have a tattoo?
Can Plasma Centers tell if You Got a Tattoo? – Plasma centers can’t tell if you have a tattoo and when you got it. However, if your tattoo is on a visible spot like your hand, arm, or neck and is fresh, the center might get to know that you’ve recently got a tattoo.
Before donating blood or plasma, the center will run a few blood tests on you that usually help detect any possible virus such as hepatitis. These illnesses are common in people who get piercings and tattoos, especially if they have gone through a tattoo process using unsanitized tattooing instruments.
Hepatitis can cause severe illness, and by donating blood while having a tattoo, you’re putting the receiver at a huge risk. Sometimes you can get away with a tattoo and donate blood without anyone ever knowing about this. However, this again is a big risk, as you may possibly put someone’s life in danger.
