Why Can’T I Donate Plasma After Getting A Tattoo?
Temporary ineligibility – According to the American Red Cross , other conditions that may make you ineligible to donate blood, if only temporarily, include:
- Bleeding conditions. If you have a bleeding condition , you may be eligible to give blood as long as you don’t have any issues with blood clotting and you aren’t taking blood thinners.
- Blood transfusion. If you’ve received a transfusion from a person in the United States, you’re eligible to donate after a 3-month waiting period.
- Cancer. Your eligibility depends on the type of cancer you have. Talk with your doctor before donating blood.
- Dental or oral surgery. You may be eligible 3 days after surgery.
- Heart attack, heart surgery, or angina. You’re ineligible for at least 6 months after any of these events.
- Heart murmur. If you have a history of heart murmur , you may be eligible as long as you receive treatment and are able to go at least 6 months without symptoms.
- High or low blood pressure. You’re ineligible if your blood pressure reading is above 180/100 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or below 90/50 mm Hg.
- Immunizations. Immunization rules vary. You may be eligible 4 weeks after vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) , chickenpox, and shingles. You may be eligible 2 weeks after a COVID-19 vaccine , 21 days after a hepatitis B vaccine , and 8 weeks after a smallpox vaccine.
- Infections. You may be eligible 10 days after ending an antibiotic injection treatment.
- International travel. Travel to certain countries may make you temporarily ineligible. Talk with your doctor before donating blood.
- Intravenous (IV) drug use. If you’ve used IV drugs without a prescription, you should wait 3 months before donating blood.
- Malaria. You may be eligible 3 years after treatment for malaria or 3 months after traveling to a place where malaria is common.
- Pregnancy. You’re ineligible during pregnancy but may be eligible 6 weeks after giving birth.
- Syphilis and gonorrhea. You may be eligible 3 months after treatment for these sexually transmitted infections (STIs) ends.
- Tuberculosis. You may be eligible once the tuberculosis infection is successfully treated.
- Zika virus. You may be eligible 120 days after you last experienced symptoms of the Zika virus.
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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.
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.
Why do I have to wait so long to donate plasma?
Why you can not donate blood after getting a tattoo or piercing?
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.
