For the love of pete! There is a long list of people who are banned from ever giving blood again. I was a regular donor until I got Hepatitis A in 2003. Hepatitis A is the good one that only last in your system for a couple of weeks. However, because of permanent liver damage I got from taking massive amounts of tylenol while I was undiagnosed and very sick I can never give blood again. And if you lived a long time in Europe you are banned too. WHY? Because of their lax blood collection/transfusion procedures.
A drug addict from 10 years ago is banned.
Someone from Haiti is banned.
If you have had blood transfusions in other countries you are banned.
If you have had cancer you are banned.
If you ever received a dura mater (brain covering) transplant or human pituitary growth hormone, you are not eligible to donate. Those who have a first-degree blood relative who had Creutzfeld-Jacob disease are also not eligible to donate.
Donors with diabetes who since 1980, ever used bovine (beef) insulin made from cattle from the United Kingdom are not eligible to donate.
If you had hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) caused by a virus, or unexplained jaundice (yellow discoloration of the skin), since age 11, you are not eligible to donate blood. This includes those who had hepatitis with Cytomegalovirus (CMV), or Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), the virus that causes Mononucleosis.
Persons who have been detained or incarcerated in a facility (juvenile detention, lockup, jail, or prison) for more than 72 consecutive hours (3 days) are deferred for 12 months from the date of last occurrence. This includes work release programs and weekend incarceration. These persons are at higher risk for exposure to infectious diseases.
You should not give blood if you have AIDS or have ever had a positive HIV test, or if you have done something that puts you at risk for becoming infected with HIV.
You are at risk for getting infected if you:
have ever used needles to take drugs, steroids, or anything not prescribed by your doctor
are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977
have ever taken money, drugs or other payment for sex since 1977
have had sexual contact in the past 12 months with anyone described above
received clotting factor concentrates for a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia
were born in, or lived in, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea,Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria, since 1977.
since 1977, received a blood transfusion or medical treatment with a blood product in any of these countries, or
had sex with anyone who, since 1977, was born in or lived in any of these countries.
Those with sickle cell disease are not eligible to donate.
(many many many more here
http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html )
