Several factors can disqualify you from donating plasma, ranging from permanent conditions like HIV or hepatitis to temporary ones like recent tattoos or low iron levels. Most disqualifications fall into a few categories: infectious diseases, physical health metrics that don’t meet minimums, certain medications, and specific lifestyle or travel histories. Some are lifetime bans, others require a waiting period before you can try again.
Permanent Disqualifications
Certain medical conditions result in a lifetime deferral, meaning you’ll never be eligible to donate plasma. These exist primarily to protect the safety of whoever receives the plasma product.
- HIV: Any person who has ever tested positive for HIV or taken any medication to treat HIV is permanently ineligible.
- Hepatitis B or C: A confirmed diagnosis or positive test for either virus at any age, regardless of whether the infection resolved on its own or was treated, results in indefinite deferral. The FDA has not identified an acceptable method for requalifying these donors.
- Blood cell cancers: Leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma disqualify you permanently, even if you’re currently cancer-free.
- Ebola virus: A history of Ebola infection is a permanent denial due to the risk of persistent infection and lack of a reliable screening test.
- Congenital bleeding disorders: Conditions like hemophilia result in a permanent deferral.
Weight, Blood Pressure, and Iron Levels
Every donation center checks a few basic health metrics before collecting plasma. Failing any of these on the day of your visit will disqualify you for that session, though you can return once your numbers are in range.
You must weigh at least 110 pounds (50 kilograms). There’s no wiggle room on this one. Your blood pressure must fall between 90/50 and 180/100 mmHg. If you’re outside that range, a physician on site may still clear you after an exam, but that’s at their discretion.
Your hemoglobin level (a measure of iron-carrying capacity in your blood) is checked with a finger prick. Men need a level of at least 13.0 g/dL, and women need at least 12.5 g/dL. Women with levels between 12.0 and 12.5 may still be allowed to donate if the center has an FDA-approved process for clearing donors at that slightly lower threshold. If your hemoglobin is too low, it typically means your iron stores are depleted, and donating could make you anemic. Eating iron-rich foods and staying hydrated in the days before your appointment can help.
Medications That Require a Waiting Period
Most common medications, including birth control, antidepressants, and over-the-counter pain relievers, do not disqualify you. The medications that do are ones that could harm a recipient or that indicate a condition making donation unsafe.
Isotretinoin, the active ingredient in acne medications like Accutane, requires a one-month wait after your last dose. This drug causes severe birth defects, and plasma products could theoretically expose a pregnant recipient.
Finasteride and dutasteride, used for hair loss or enlarged prostate, carry a six-month deferral for the same reason.
Blood thinners have varying wait times. Warfarin, heparin, and newer anticoagulants like rivaroxaban or apixaban require a seven-day wait after your last dose. Anti-platelet drugs used after heart procedures range from 2 days to a full month depending on the specific medication. If you’re on a blood thinner long-term for a heart condition, you’ll likely be deferred indefinitely as a practical matter since you can’t safely stop taking it.
Tattoos and Piercings
A tattoo does not automatically disqualify you. In most states, if the tattoo was done at a state-regulated facility using sterile, single-use needles and ink, you’re eligible immediately. The same applies to cosmetic tattoos like microbladed eyebrows, as long as they were done at a licensed establishment.
If you got your tattoo in a state that doesn’t regulate tattoo parlors, you’ll need to wait three months. Piercings follow the same logic: single-use, disposable equipment means no wait. A reusable piercing gun or any uncertainty about the sterility of the instruments triggers a three-month deferral.
Pregnancy and Recent Childbirth
You cannot donate plasma while pregnant. After giving birth, the standard waiting period is six months. This applies whether or not you’re breastfeeding. Once six months have passed, breastfeeding on its own is not a disqualifier.
High-Risk Behaviors
Donation centers ask screening questions about behaviors that increase the risk of blood-borne infections. Intravenous drug use with non-prescribed needles is a major red flag and will result in deferral. The specific look-back period varies by center and regulatory framework, but any recent IV drug use will disqualify you.
You’ll also be asked about sexual history, incarceration, and potential exposure to someone with a known infectious disease. These questions have evolved over time. The FDA updated its screening guidelines in recent years, moving away from blanket deferrals for certain groups and toward individual risk-based assessments. The specifics of what triggers a deferral and for how long can vary between donation companies, so it’s worth checking with your particular center.
Travel History
Travel to regions where malaria is common can trigger a deferral, typically lasting three months to three years depending on the specifics of your trip and whether you lived in versus visited the area. If you traveled to a malaria-endemic country, expect to be asked detailed questions about your itinerary.
Zika virus, which previously triggered donor testing requirements, is no longer a concern for plasma donation in the United States. The FDA removed the Zika testing requirement in 2021 for blood donations and in 2024 for tissue and cell-based products, reflecting the sharp decline in Zika cases worldwide.
Other Common Reasons for Deferral
A few situations don’t fit neatly into the categories above but come up frequently. Recent surgery or blood transfusion will defer you temporarily, with the length depending on the procedure. If you’ve received someone else’s blood, the typical wait is three months. A cold, flu, or other acute illness on the day of your appointment will get you turned away until you’ve recovered. Most centers also require you to be at least 18 years old, though some allow 17-year-olds with parental consent depending on state law.
Donating too frequently can also disqualify you. Federal regulations cap how often you can donate source plasma, and centers track your donations electronically. If you’ve donated at the maximum allowed frequency, you’ll be turned away until enough time has passed. Most centers allow two donations per seven-day period with at least one day between sessions.