"There are several groups of people who are not allowed to donate blood. Including pregnant women and people suffering from certain diseases.”
As the name suggests, blood donation is the procedure of taking a certain amount of blood to be donated to people in need. Apart from helping save the lives of others, this activity is also beneficial for the health of those who donate blood.
That is why blood donation is an activity that is recommended to be done regularly. However, unfortunately not everyone can donate blood. Want to know more? Let's see!
These are the people who are not allowed to donate blood
In general, the conditions that must be met by someone who wants to donate blood are as follows:
- In good health, both physically and mentally.
- 17-60 years old, or under 17 years old if you have written permission from your parents and meet other requirements.
- Minimum weight 45 kilograms.
- Body temperature 36.6-37.5 degrees Celsius.
- Normal blood pressure is between 100-160 for systolic and 70-100 for diastolic.
- The pulse on examination is about 50-100 beats per minute.
- Have a minimum hemoglobin level of 12 g/dl for women, and 12.5 g/dl for men.
If they do not meet these general requirements, a person is not allowed to donate blood. However, apart from the general requirements, there are other factors that prevent a person from donating blood.
For example, because of a disease or experiencing certain conditions. Here are some groups of people who are not allowed to donate blood:
People with Hypertension
As mentioned earlier, normal blood pressure is one of the important requirements that prospective donors need to fulfill. So, it can be said that people with hypertension are not allowed to donate their blood.
Even though people with hypertension are already taking medication prescribed by a doctor to lower blood pressure. Ideally, a new blood donation can be done 28 days after, when blood pressure has stabilized.
People weighing less than 45 kg
The amount of blood a person has can vary depending on the proportion of height and weight. That is why people who weigh less than 45 kilograms are considered to have too little blood.
This is feared to harm the donor's body, which cannot tolerate the amount of blood drawn during the donor process. In addition, people who are underweight are also more at risk of developing anemia, which can be dangerous.
Hepatitis B and C
People who have or have a history of hepatitis B and C are also included in the group who are not allowed to donate blood. Not without reason, both types of hepatitis can be transmitted through blood.
Even if they are declared cured, they are still not allowed to donate blood. Because it is feared that it will transmit the virus to donor recipients.
Pregnant mother
Donating blood while pregnant is not recommended. This is because it is feared that it can affect the fetus, because the blood circulation in the mother's body is reduced.
Not only that, pregnant women are also very susceptible to anemia, so donating blood can be at risk of aggravating the condition. After giving birth, if you want to donate blood, the mother needs to wait about 6 months, so that the body has time to restore sufficient iron levels.
People with Other Conditions
In addition to the groups of people described earlier, there are also several conditions that make a person not allowed to donate blood, namely:
- Is having cancer.
- Have severe lung disease.
- Have HIV infection, AIDS or Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).
- Having a job with a high risk of contracting an infectious disease, such as prostitution.
- Have a chronic alcohol addiction.
Those are some groups of people who are not allowed to donate blood. It is important to check with your doctor first, so that you can find out your health status.