Cancerwise

Think you’re too old to donate blood? Or that you can’t do it because you have tattoos or just got back from travelling abroad?

You may have heard that if you meet one of these criteria, you’re prohibited from donating blood — but that’s not necessarily the case.

To separate fact from fiction, we went to transfusion specialist Joanne Becker, M.D. Here, she debunks those and one other blood donation myth she often hears at UT MD Anderson Blood Bank, so you can get back to giving back.

Myth #1: I’m too old.

Fact: While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did consider requiring medical approval for donors over age 75 before they could give blood a few years ago, that proposal never actually went into effect. A few states have since implemented blood donor age limits of their own. But Texas is not among them.

“As long as you weigh at least 110 pounds, are feeling well and healthy, and meet our other standard criteria for donation, there is no upper age limit,” Becker says. “We are very thankful for our older blood donors at UT MD Anderson Blood Bank. They are generally more experienced, they come prepared, and we don’t see as many reactions (such as fainting) with them. They are wonderful.”

Myth #2: It’s not safe.

Fact: As long as you wait the required amount of time between donations, giving blood or platelets is perfectly safe. It’s not “bad for your body,” and it won’t make you overproduce cells to replenish what you’ve lost.

“The body is actually very good at regulating itself,” Becker says. “It handles fluids quite well. So, the liquid part gets replaced pretty quickly.”

So, why is this myth so common? Maybe it’s because it takes about eight weeks to replenish the amount of iron lost by donating a pint of blood.

“Your body keeps making new red blood cells after a donation,” Becker explains. “But normally, it just recycles iron from the old ones, as they’re broken down. Donating blood is actually one of the few ways your body can lose iron (others include the menstrual cycle and internal bleeding). It takes about eight weeks to replace this essential mineral — usually through your diet.”

So, how often is it safe to give blood?

The answer to that question depends on which type of donation you’re making.

Whole blood can be given once every 56 days, which translates to about six times a year or every eight weeks. The donation itself takes about 30 minutes to complete, and it takes your body between four and six weeks to fully replenish the cells.

Double red cells can be given once every 112 days, which translates to about three times a year or every 16 weeks. It takes about 90 minutes to complete the donation at UT MD Anderson Blood Bank, and it takes your body three months or longer to fully replenish the cells.

Platelets can theoretically be given as frequently as once every three days, if someone needs cells from a specific donor. But most people space their donations out to about once every two weeks, because platelet donations are capped at 24 per year. The donation itself takes about two hours to complete, and it takes your body two to three days to fully replenish the cells.

“We usually recommend every two weeks for platelet donors because then you’ll have a slower, more-controlled cell loss,” notes Becker. “But how quickly you reach your annual limit depends on you.”