Blood donation

How long Do you Have to Wait to Give Blood after you Get a Tattoo

 
Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: October 5, 2017
How long Do you Have to Wait to Give Blood after you Get a Tattoo

There are many myths about blood donation and tattoos. It is important to discuss them because all countries require voluntary blood donation so they have reserves to make transfusions and to treat patients in need. The first thing to emphasize is that yes, you can donate blood after getting tattoos, but if you've just gotten one you'll have to wait a certain amount of time to make your donation. In this oneHOWTO article we will explain how long to wait to donate blood after getting a tattoo to clear up any doubts.

You may also be interested in: Can You Donate Blood if You Have Tattoos?
Steps to follow:
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The only reason we have to wait some time before donating blood after getting a tattoo is because of what is known as the "window period". This is the interval of time for an infection, such as Hepatitis; to spread so that diagnostic systems are shown; i.e. if you get your tattoo and are infected with a disease, doctors need some time to be able to detect it, and this is how much time is stipulated to donate blood.

So as a rule, a person with tattoos can donate blood unless they have been infected with a disease, so to determine if this has happened they need to wait a few months. This time interval is different depending on the country because it all depends on their progress in the fields of technology and medicine.

How long Do you Have to Wait to Give Blood after you Get a Tattoo - Step 1
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Thus to know how long to wait to donate blood after getting a tattoo, first remember that not all countries are the same.

The UK, Australia & New Zealand

Generally the time interval ranges from 4 months to a year. In the UK, Australia and New Zealand for example, the waiting time before donating blood if you gotten a tattoo is 4 months. This is the window period during which you can develop an infection and medical equipment can detect it.

The US & other countries

However, in other countries it is commonly 6 months to 1 year. In the United States you normally have to wait 12 months before donating blood so that the medical equipment can detect whether you have an infection.

However, there are certain states that do not have any specific regulation on the time to wait, so we recommend consulting the ministry of health or organisations conducting blood donations. According to the American Red Cross, here is the list of states where there is no specific waiting time:

  • Massachusetts
  • Columbia
  • Georgia
  • Idaho
  • Wyoming
  • Pennsylvania
  • Utah
  • Maryland
  • New York
  • New Hampshire
  • Nevada
How long Do you Have to Wait to Give Blood after you Get a Tattoo - Step 2
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But not only do we have to wait this amount of time after getting a tattoo, but there are other situations requiring needles that will also make us wait if we want to donate blood. For example, if you get a piercing you will also have to wait the same amount of months as for a tattoo, as you will if you've gotten acupuncture or have had surgery. Anything involving a needle means there will be a window period before you can donate blood.

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Apart from this, before donating blood you also have to keep in mind that there are a number of requirements to become a donor. These are some basic guidelines to ensure that donated blood meets a series of requirements so that it is of suitable quality for use in other patients. The requirements for donating blood are:

  • Must be between 18 and 65 years old. 16 and 17 year olds may also be donors provided they have permission from their guardians.
  • You must be weigh more than 50 kilos (110 lbs 3 oz) to be a blood donor.
  • You cannot have donated blood in the last 2 months.
  • Nor can you donate if you go with an empty stomach.
How long Do you Have to Wait to Give Blood after you Get a Tattoo - Step 4

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How long Do you Have to Wait to Give Blood after you Get a Tattoo, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.

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How long Do you Have to Wait to Give Blood after you Get a Tattoo