Who Can Donate Plasma - Give Blood

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You are here:

1. Home
2. Plasma
3. Who can donate plasma

Who can donate plasma

On this page: 

• who can donate 
• who can't donate
• who might need to wait to donate

Check whether you meet the basic plasma donation criteria.

Who can donate plasma

To donate plasma you will need to: 

• be able to travel to a plasma donor centre in Birmingham, Reading or Twickenham
• be able to spare up to 90 minutes to donate
• be generally fit and well
• be between the ages of 17 and 65 to start donating plasma. If you are over 65 you can start donating plasma if you have donated blood or platelets before (this must be within the last 2 years if you are over 69)
• be over 50 kg (7 stone 12 lbs) and have the right height and weight to donate safely. Check your height and weight
• have suitable veins and a normal pulse (we will check these before you donate)
• meet all donor eligibility criteria (we'll discuss this with you before you donate)

New to donation?

If you've never donated blood or platelets before, you can sign up to donate plasma in Birmingham, Reading or Twickenham.

Sign up

Donated blood before?

If you've donated blood or platelets before, you may be able to change to plasma donation.

Change your donation type

Check how much blood you have

We check your height and weight before your first plasma donation and your weight before every plasma donation. This is to make sure it is safe for you to donate plasma.

The machine we use to collect plasma uses this information to work out how much blood you have, and how much plasma you can safely donate.

You can use this tool to check if you have enough blood to donate plasma.

Please note that this tool is a guide only, and we will check your height and weight again at your first appointment.

What is your sex assigned at birth? What is your height?

Results:

Estimate Estimate

Who can't donate plasma

You can't donate plasma if you:

• have had most types of cancer
• have some heart conditions
• have received blood, platelets, plasma or any other blood products after 1 January 1980
• have tested positive for HIV or HTLV
• have had an organ transplant
• are a hepatitis B carrier
• are a hepatitis C carrier
• have injected non-prescribed drugs including body-building and injectable tanning agents

There are other medical conditions that may mean you can't donate. Please call us on 0300 123 23 23 to check if you can donate. 

Who might have to wait to donate plasma

There are some health, travel and lifestyle reasons that may stop you from being able to donate plasma on a temporary basis.

If you are not sure if you can donate, please call us on 0300 123 23 23 to discuss your situation. 

Blood donors

If you are a blood donor you can give plasma 4 weeks after your last blood donation. You will have to stop donating blood while you give plasma.

Coronavirus vaccines

If you have had a Covid-19 vaccination you can donate plasma on the same day as long as you are feeling well.

Sexual activity

You may have to wait up to 3 months before you can donate if:

• you have had anal sex with a new partner in the last 3 months
• you finished taking Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) in the last 3 months
• in the last 3 months you have had sexual contact with a partner who is:
• HIV positive
• HTLV positive
• a hepatitis B carrier
• a hepatitis C carrier
• syphilis positive
• has received money or drugs for sex
• has injected non-prescribed drugs including body-building and injectable tanning agents

Other reasons why you might need to wait

You will need to wait before you can donate if you:

• are pregnant
• have had a baby in the last 6 months
• have had a tattoo or piercing in the last 4 months
• travel to and from certain countries outside the UK
• are undergoing assessment or investigations for a medical condition. For example, heart conditions

I donate plasma because I want to give people more time with their loved ones. If I needed it in the future, I hope someone would do the same for me. 

Albert Mensah donates plasma in London.

How to donate plasma

Find out what to expect on the day and how to prepare for a plasma donation

What happens when you donate

Where to donate plasma

Choose from one of our 3 plasma donor centres

Find your nearest donor centre

Plasma donors and disability

How we can support plasma donors with a disability

Plasma donation and disability