Accuracy and Honesty are Essential
Your complete honesty and accuracy in answering all questions are very important for the safety of patients who receive your blood. All information you provide is confidential. Our ability to obtain full, honest, and complete information about your health and behaviors is often more important to the safety of the blood supply than having your blood to test in the laboratory. Thank you for your careful answers to the questions you will be asked.

Donation Process
To determine if you are eligible to donate we will:

• First, ask questions about your health, travel, and medicines.
• Second, ask questions to see if you might be at risk for hepatitis B and C, HIV, or AIDS.
• Third, take your blood pressure, temperature, and pulse.
• Fourth, take a small blood sample to make sure you are not anemic.

If you are able to donate we will:

• Cleanse your arm with an antiseptic. (Please tell us if you are allergic to chlorahexadine or iodine).
  
• Use a new, sterile, disposable needle to collect your blood.

Donor Eligibility Specific Information
Travel to (or Birth in) Other Countries
Blood donor tests may not be available for some contagious diseases that are found only in certain countries. If you were born in, have lived in, or visited certain countries, you may not be eligible to donate.

Sexual Contact
   Why we ask questions about sexual contact:
Sexual contact may cause contagious diseases like HIV to get into the bloodstream and be spread through transfusions to someone else.

Definition of sexual contact:
The terms sexual contact or sex are used in some of the questions you will be asked. These can mean different things to each of us, but in keeping with federal guidelines these terms apply to any of the activities below, whether or not a condom or other protection was used.

1. Vaginal sex (contact between penis and vagina).
   
2. Oral sex (mouth or tongue on someone's vagina, penis, or anus).
   
3. Anal sex (contact between penis and anus).

HIV/AIDS Risk Behaviors and Symptoms
AIDS is caused by HIV. HIV is spread mainly through sexual contact with an infected person or by sharing needles or syringes used for injecting drugs.

Do Not Donate If You:

• Have AIDS or have ever had a positive HIV test.
  
• Have ever used needles to take drugs, steroids, or anything not prescribed by your doctor.
  
• Are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977.
  
• Have ever taken money, drugs or other payment for sex since 1977.
  
• Have had sexual contact in the past 12 months with anyone described above.
  
• Have had syphilis or gonorrhea in the past 12 months.
  
• Have been in juvenile detention, jail, or prison for more than 72 hours in the last 12 months.
  
• Have any of the following conditions that can be signs or symptoms of HIV/AIDS:
  

1. Unexplained weight loss or night sweats.
   
2. Blue or purple spots in your mouth or on your skin.
   
3. Swollen lymphnodes for more than one month.
   
4. White spots or unusual spots in your mouth.
   
5. Cough that won't go away or shortness of breath.
   
6. Diarrhea that won't go away.
   
7. Fever of more than 100.5 degrees F for more than 10 days.

Remember that you can give HIV to someone else through blood transfusions even if you feel well and have a negative HIV test. This is because tests cannot detect infections for a period of time after a person is exposed to HIV. Do not give blood only to get an AIDS or hepatitis test. Confidential AIDS testing is available at your local health department, or you may call 1.800.322.AIDS for more information.

What Happens After Your Donation
To protect patients, your blood is tested for hepatitis B and C, HIV, certain other viruses, and syphilis. If your blood tests positive, it will not be transfused to a patient. You will be notified about test results that may disqualify you from donating in the future.
Do not donate to get tested for HIV, hepatitis, or any other infections.

Confidentiality of Screening and Test Results
Blood centers are required to keep a confidential list of names whose blood might be harmful to patients. If your medical history or blood test results are unclear, or if they show that your blood might make someone sick, your name will be placed on this list. This list is strictly confidential.

IMPORTANT
A way to let us know your blood should not be given
to another person is by calling the Donor Self-Exclusion
Hot Line 1.800.392.6551, ext. 1099.

It is important that you do not donate blood to get an AIDS test.

Confidential AIDS testing is available at these County Health Departments: