In 1989, I was the victim of a serious motorcycle accident. My left leg and hip were seriously injured – I suffered from a broken hip socket, compound fractures of my tibia and fibula, and other issues. I spent a...
It’s my first-time donating blood. I walk into Stanford Blood Center (SBC) and I don’t know what to expect. I am a bit nervous because I’m not a big fan of needles, but I know I’m doing this for a...
During the Medical History part of your donation process, the Historian will take a small blood sample from your finger to test your hemoglobin, which is the oxygen-carrying molecule in your red blood cells. In order to get an accurate...
The FDA requires all blood centers to question donors about activities that are associated with an increased risk of exposure to infectious agents. According to statistics from the public health service, men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to...
You will no longer be deferred for tattoos obtained in a California State regulated entity. You will still be deferred for 12 months if you obtained a tattoo outside of California or in California in a non-regulated entity.
Certain medications that are perfectly safe for you to take could be harmful if transfused into another person. Please refer to the medication deferral list for a list of medications that may affect your eligibility as a blood donor. The deferral...
Anyone who has ever lived in or visited another country may have different deferral periods – this will all be reviewed in the donor screening process. Below are a few examples of common travel deferrals. If you have questions about...
Stanford Blood Center screens blood collections for Zika virus. However, if you have been diagnosed with having Zika virus infection within the last 120 days (~4 months), please call our Post Donation Callback line immediately at 650-725-9968 and someone will contact you to discuss your previous donations and your eligibility to donate.
Please do not donate if you have EVER had Ebola virus infection or disease. Please do not donate for 4 weeks after full recovery if you have been diagnosed with an infection of chikungunya or dengue. If you have been...
Written by: Dianne Geary, technical hospital relations manager For those of you that have donated blood before, you are familiar with the routine; the whole blood donor is asked a bunch of questions, has a mini physical and passes the...