Watch out for these - Factors that disqualify you from donating blood

New Delhi: Blood transfusion helps in saving millions of lives and improving health. In fact, one donation can help save the lives of up to three people. But many patients requiring transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood, arising the 'critical need' for donations.

Although blood donation is completely a safe process, not everyone can give blood. People with the following conditions should abstain from donating blood:

• Being positive for HIV or hepatitis
• Have any blood clotting disorder
• Had a heart attack in the last six to twelve months
• Had cardiac surgery in the last year
• Taking cardiovascular medicine
• Had a recent attack of malaria
• Had received blood, plasma or other blood components recently or during the last year
• Had an abortion recently
• Had received chemotherapy/radiation for cancer treatment
• Have anaemia of moderate or severe type

A person should not donate blood if he/she has got a tattoo done recently.

Individuals between the ages of 18 and 65, who have no problem donating, can give blood. Men can donate safely once in every three months while women can donate every four months.