Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDonation EligibilityPlasma Donation StudiesBefore You Donate
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Donation Eligibility
Plasma Donation Studies
Before You Donate
If you havelupus(systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE) and want to donate blood, it’s important to know that some organizations and blood banks will accept your donation whereas others will not. And even when lupus doesn’t automatically disqualify you, eligibility criteria usually require that the disease be inactive or in remission.
Potential risks to you also need to be considered, and you and your healthcare provider should discuss whether donating is a good idea for you.
Verywell / Nez Riaz
Blood Donation Eligibility
Whether you candonate bloodwith lupus depends not only on the status of your condition but on where you choose to donate blood. Blood banks can vary considerably in their requirements and guidelines so that you may be able to donate somewhere even if you are told you are ineligible at one organization.
For example, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center allows people with lupus to donate blood if they’re asymptomatic.
The Australian Red Cross is an organization that doesn’t accept blood from people with lupus as it claims it’s concerned not only about the risk to the person receiving the blood, but about the potential for negative impact on the person with lupus.
Guidelines are Subject to ChangeEligibility requirements can change. For example, in the past, the American Red Cross didn’t allow blood donations from people with lupus. Be sure to check the latest guidelines if you’re interested in donating.
Guidelines are Subject to Change
Eligibility requirements can change. For example, in the past, the American Red Cross didn’t allow blood donations from people with lupus. Be sure to check the latest guidelines if you’re interested in donating.
Restrictions to Donating Blood With Lupus
In addition to general guidelines that limit who can donate blood (such as those with HIV infection and more), some conditions will disqualify people with lupus from donating blood atanyblood bank or organization.
Donating Blood With LupusYou can’t donate blood if you have lupus plus any of the following:AnemiaAbnormal liver function tests (liver dysfunction)If the disease is active (not in remission)If you are taking some medications, including Cellcept (mycophenolate mofetil) and many others.If you aren’t feeling well in any wayIf you have a fever
Donating Blood With Lupus
You can’t donate blood if you have lupus plus any of the following:AnemiaAbnormal liver function tests (liver dysfunction)If the disease is active (not in remission)If you are taking some medications, including Cellcept (mycophenolate mofetil) and many others.If you aren’t feeling well in any wayIf you have a fever
You can’t donate blood if you have lupus plus any of the following:
The reasons for these restrictions is again two-fold. Healthcare providers don’t know how donating blood could affect you nor how exposure to components in your blood may affect the person who receives it, especially if that person is very ill or has a suppressed or compromised immune system.
Plasma Donation and Lupus
Since antibodies found in the blood are the primary cause for concern surrounding blood donations from people with lupus,plasma donationis usually discouraged. Red blood cells and platelets from people with lupus are generally considered “safe.”
Bone Marrow Donation and Lupus
Having lupus, even in remission, is usually a contraindication for bone marrow donation. The organizationBe The Matchexcludes people with an autoimmune disease other than stable autoimmune thyroid disease.
Organ Donation and Lupus
People with lupus may or may not be able to donate organs. The only absolute contraindication isCreutzfeldt-Jacob syndrome.With lupus, problems with blood clots (antiphospholipid syndrome) would be one reason why healthcare providers may think twice. In many cases, the benefits (saving a life) may easily outweigh the potential risks.
Can You Catch Lupus From Another Person?
Another Way to Help: Lupus Plasma Donation Studies
Even if you can’t donate plasma to help someone in need, there is another option for people with lupus. Several organizations ask for plasma donation from people with lupus in order to study the disease.
Before deciding whether to donate, it’s important to consider whether it’s right for you. Because you you can help or give back in other ways, you don’t need to risk your health to do so.
Possible Risks
Potential risks of donating blood could include worsening of your disease, depending on what factors set off your lupus flares. If you have fatigue associated with your disease, donating blood could make it worse. It may also exacerbate lupus-related heart issues.
There is also a risk of persistent bleeding and bruising if you have underlying blood cell count abnormalities.
Benefits
If you are able to donate, it is a noble endeavor, as one blood donation can help save up to three lives. According to the Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood and only approximately 6.8 million people in the United States donate blood a year.
There is no blood substitute, and donors are the only sources of blood. Donated blood is used not only in emergencies but also for people with cancer, blood disorders such as anemia, and many other illnesses.
Making a Decision
If you meet the criteria to donate, talk to your healthcare provider first. Even if you are in remission and your disease is inactive, they may have some specific reasons why you should not donate. If you’re disappointed, they will probably have some idea where you can use your desire to help others in a different way.
Before working on behalf of others, however, make sure you areliving and coping with your lupusas well as possible. People who take care of themselves first are better able to help others.
Summary
Many blood donation organizations do not allow people with lupus to donate, and if they do, the guidelines can significantly limit who may give blood. Unlimited ways of helping others exist, however, including becoming an advocate.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Medical conditions affecting donation.
Australian Red Cross.I have lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus). Can I donate?
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Important information for potential donors of blood and blood products.
Figueiredo MS.Anemia and the blood donor.Rev Bras Hematol Hemoter. 2012;34(5):328-329. PMID: 23125537
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Medications that may delay your donation.
UpToDate.Patient education: Blood transfusion and donation (Beyond the Basics).
Pamuk ON.Thrombocytopenia in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.Eur J Rheumatol. 2023;10(4):159-162. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2023.23069
American Red Cross.Importance of the blood supply.
American Red Cross. Eligibility Criteria: Alphabetical.https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements/eligibility-criteria-alphabetical.html
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