Can You Donate Blood if You Have Herpes?

Donating blood is an act of kindness. In fact, it is the most precious gift that you can give to someone, especially to patients. Once an individual donates safe blood, it saves lives. It can save a single life, most especially a woman who experiences complications during her pregnancy and childbirth.

Other than that, it can help people improve their condition from having severe anemia and other health complications. It also provides a good supply of blood needed in some surgeries. The compassion that blood donation yields enable other people to live.

While this blood service is a remarkable deed, not all can donate. Keep in mind that prior to extracting your blood, healthcare professionals will consider the welfare of both the donor and the recipient. It means that the donor is not allowed to donate his blood if the outcome of the donation is negative.

Moreover, if the donor has been diagnosed with infections, such as syphilis and HIV, he is not allowed to get involved with the blood service. The main reason for this is to prevent the infections from being transmitted to the recipients and will only risk their life in acquiring another infection or illness.

For this matter, many people tend to ask. Am I a good candidate for blood donation if I have herpes? Read on to know more.

It is widely accepted for people with a history or past infection with herpes to donate blood. However, there are certain factors that healthcare professionals should examine and consider first. Some of these factors include:

• Sores that have already been healed
• Lesions that have already dried up
• Infected individuals that have already finished a full session of treatment involving antiviral drugs (they must wait until 48 hours from the time of their first medicinal consumption)

Unlike other infections, herpes stays in your body for life even if the symptoms and outbreaks have already been treated. While this information can make you think that you are not a good candidate for blood donation, you can still be of service and donate as long as the following are observed.

• no active blisters or sores in your body
• no outbreaks have been recorded for a long time

In line with this, you can always talk to your doctor and learn when you are safe to donate blood.

The following includes the factors stating the restrictions of blood donation. Some of these factors involve the acquisition of life-threatening illness, making you incapable of donating blood.

• History of leukemia
• Past illness involving Hodgkin’s disease
• Diagnosed with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
• Diagnosed with hepatitis B and C
• History of Zika and Ebola infections
• Currently taking painkillers, such as narcotics
• Currently consuming antibiotics
• Was a recipient of blood transfusion
• History of hemochromatosis
• Weight is less than 49.89 kgs or 110 in pounds
• Age is under 17 years
• Stricken with sickness at the moment of blood testing
• Have active fever blisters caused by herpes
• Have cold sores caused by HSV (herpes simplex virus) outbreak
• Experiencing other symptoms caused by herpes or HSV

When you are proven to have any of the mentioned factors above, you are not allowed to donate blood. If you wish to donate regardless of the condition you have, speak with your doctor and know how you can do the deed. Who knows, there can be other ways you can help in saving a life.

Aside from the restrictions mentioned here, you may ask when is it fine or acceptable to donate blood. Here are the guidelines you can take into account.

• You are 17 years old and above.
• You have already recovered from diseases, such as cancer, for the past 12 months.
• You can donate even if you have allergies, as long as they are not terminal.
• Your diabetes is controlled.
• You are following a strict medication, especially from acquiring hypertension.
• You have already recovered from having fever and colds.

People with HPV (human papillomavirus) are not clearly given the green light to donate blood. While the infection is spread through skin-skin contact, research stated that the infection is transmitted through blood transfusion. Because of this, more and more studies are required to confirm and validate if people with HPV can donate blood.

You are eligible for blood donation as long as you are proven safe to do so. Note that prior to doing the deed, your blood should be tested first. An interview will also take place before the blood extraction. Be honest in providing the needed information as one life is at stake during the process. Keep in mind that donating your blood is a remarkable service that you can do to a single person. It is why making sure that you are safe to do so is necessary.