Who can donate plasma

On this page:

Check whether you meet the basic plasma donation criteria.

To donate plasma you will need to:

be generally fit and well
be between the ages of 17 and 66
have enough blood to donate safely. Check how much blood you have
have suitable veins and a normal pulse (we will check these before you donate)
be able to spare 1 hour 15 minutes to donate
be able to travel to a plasma donor centre
meet all donor eligibility criteria (we'll discuss this with you before you donate)

You need to have enough blood to donate plasma safely.

Use this tool to check if you have enough blood to donate.

This calculation uses your gender, height and weight but is different to BMI (body mass index).

Estimate

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

Coronavirus vaccines

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
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

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

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

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.