Donating blood is a simple, safe, altruistic, and voluntary process. All the equipment used is new and disposable. The entire process takes about 90 minutes.

THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET:

1. Be at least 18 years old and under 65 years old.
2. Weigh at least 50 kg and be at least 1.50 m tall.
3. You must fast for at least 4 hours; if you consume eggs or dairy products, you must fast for 8 hours.
4. If you haven't eaten anything for more than 12 hours, you will not be able to donate that day.
5. If you are feeling generally unwell or have any other symptoms (pain, fever, fatigue, etc.) or a respiratory illness (flu, laryngitis, or tonsillitis), you must postpone your donation for at least 10 days.
6. You must not be taking antibiotics. If you have taken any, you must wait 7 days before donating.
7. If you are currently taking any medication, please inform the doctor who will be conducting your evaluation so that they can determine whether you may proceed with the donation.
8. Do not consume alcoholic beverages for at least 72 hours prior to donation.
9. Do not use intravenous drugs or be under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, marijuana, inhalants, or any other intoxicating substance.
10. You must not be pregnant or breastfeeding.
11. No tattoos, piercings, acupuncture, catheterization, endoscopy, or pyelosclerosis within the past 12 months.
12. Avoid high-risk sexual behavior, such as having multiple partners or engaging in sexual activity with partners who have HIV/AIDS or hepatitis.
13. Not having received multiple transfusions.
14. You must not have had any major surgeries in the past 6 months.
15. Have no personal history of the following conditions:

• Insulin-dependent diabetes
• Syphilis
• Malaria
• Toxoplasmosis
• Tuberculosis
• Listeriosis
• Brucellosis
• Leprosy
• Epilepsy
• Cancer
• Hemophilia
• Chagas
• Cytomegalovirus
• Asthma
• Osteomyelitis
• Glomerulonephritis
• Meningitis
• Encephalitis
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Hepatitis A (after age 10)

16. You must not bepregnant,breastfeeding,experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding, or havegiven birth (including via cesarean section)within the last6 months.
17. You must not have donated blood in the past60 days.
18. Women who have become pregnant will be excluded from donating PLATELETS
19. Please let us know if you have been vaccinated recently. 

Current regulations establish clear and specific criteria for when you are NOT eligible to donate blood—either temporarily or permanently—which are part of the clinical evaluation and will be discussed with you.

THE DONATION PROCESS CONSISTS OF SEVERAL STAGES:

Identification: This must be provided in the form of a valid official ID (National ID card, passport, or professional license). If you do not have one of these, you will not be able to donate.

Clinical evaluation: This is conducted prior to donation and consists of an interview (all information will be kept confidential, so we encourage you to be honest for the benefit of both the recipient and the donor) and a physical examination; once completed, it must be signed by you and the physician who performed it.

Laboratory testing is conducted in two phases:

1. Before the donation, you will undergo a blood test to assess your health and determine at that time whether to proceed with the donation process.
2. The blood donation (450 ml) isprocessed and separated for testing to determine the blood type and Rh factor, and to screen for antibodies to syphilis, hepatitis B and C, HIV, Chagas disease, and any other tests deemed necessary by the regulatory authority or the blood bank.

We are required to inform you if any of your test results indicate a significant health concern. A positive test result for any blood-borne disease will result in your exclusion as a donor, the destruction of the products derived from your donation, and the reporting of the results to the Health Authority. All your information will be handled in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act.

Self-exclusion: If, after answering a few simple questions about your lifestyle and sexual practices, you decide that your blood is not suitable for donation, or if the doctor finds your answers to be unclear, your donation will be rejected in accordance with current regulations.

Informed consent to donate is one of the most important legal requirements for donating blood, so we ask that you read it carefully (if you have any questions, please ask the doctor to clarify them for you).

AFTER DONATING, YOU MUST TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1. Please rest for about 10–15 minutes; afterward, you will be offered a snack.
2. Drink plenty of fluids over the next 24 hours.
3. DO NOT smoke or drink alcohol for two hours after donating.
4. Avoid hot environments or strenuous physical activity, at least until the next day.
5. Please notify the Blood Bank of any adverse reactions following your donation.
6. Those withhigh-riskprofessions or hobbies—such asfirefighters, bus or train drivers, crane operators, athletes, police officers, or military personnel—mustwait 12 hours before resuming their activities.Aircraft pilotsmustwait 24 hours before returning to work.

After the donation,you may experiencesomeside effects, the most common of which are:

• Fainting.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Pain at the injection site.
• Bruising at the puncture site.
• Tonic-clonic seizures.

Ten business days after donating, you maypick upthe results of the laboratory tests we performedin person, provided you present avalid form of identification(IFE, passport) along with yourdonation receipt.

DON'T FORGET...

• When you donate blood, you can help up to three people.
• You can donate every 3 or 4 months; plan your donations.
• Please donate before the holiday season, as donations drop sharply during this time, while the need remains the same.
• Altruistic giving is always worthwhile.