The general donating blood requirements are;

• Weighs at least 50 kg or 110 pounds
• The donor should be at least 17 years old. A 16 year old donor may donate by the consent of his/her parent
• The donor must be a healthy person

Donating blood requirements- Food & sleep;

• Eat nutritious food before and after donation, to avoid weakness
• Drink plenty of water or juices before and after donation
• Get a good sleep before donation

Donating blood requirements- Time interval;

• If you are donating a whole blood collection, you should wait for at least 56 days before donating next time
• For platelet donation the donor must give a gap of 7 days before donating again
• For plasma donation you should wait 28 days before next donation

If the donor has anyone of the following problems or reasons, he/she can never donate blood and is considered to be permanent deferral from the blood donating requirements;

• Hepatitis after the age of 11
• Certain unhelpful lung disorders
• IV drug abuser or even had used once in life time
• Persons having symptoms of AIDS
• Since 1980 to 1996, if the person had spent 3 months in UK or have received beef insulin or even spent 5 or more years in Europe or spent 6 or more months of time in the military bases. These are some basic requirements that are followed in USA but the rest of the world may not follow these requirements.

Donating blood requirements- There is some timely suspension period from donating blood, due to the following reasons;

• Current cold or flu, including a cough or fever
• Dental work
• Pregnancy, miscarriage or abortion
• Malaria patient may donate after 3 years of last symptoms
• If a tattoo is made from a non-registered professional

Donating blood requirements- Medications;

• Antibiotics taken before 24 hours of donation
• The donor who had used ACCUTANE, PROSCAR or POPECIA are not allowed to donate blood for the next 30 days
• A 3 days of delay, if the donor has taken Hepatitis B vaccine

 Blood donating requirements for a diabetic/blood pressure patient;

• Donors having fixed diabetes, controlled by diet, insulin therapy and oral medication, can donate blood
• Persons having a good control on high blood pressure by diet, oral medications, may also donate their blood.

Last but not least, before donating blood you may be required to fill a healthy history questionnaire, checked for blood pressure, pulse rate and in the last a sample of your blood. The donor is usually served with refreshment 10 min before denting blood, to ensure a good flow of blood and to keep you active. These procedures don't take more than an hour of your time. Donating blood requirements must be followed by everyone to avoid any miscarriages.