An important message to blood donors
Donating blood is an act of great human kindness.
Your blood can save the life of another person.
As a blood donor, you want to make sure that you are giving good, healthy blood.

But there are times when your blood may not be suitable for donation.

Often you may feel quite well even though your blood may be carrying certain viruses or other infectious agents. But these infectious agents can cause illness in the people who receive your blood.

Before you give blood, you will be asked a number of personal questions regarding your health, travel and sexual history during an interview. This is necessary to ensure that you are well enough to donate and the donation will not affect your well-being, and that you are not at risk of having an infectious disease which may harm the recipient of your blood donation. While the blood bank tests every blood donation for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV 1 and 2, and syphilis, we continue to rely on you to tell us that it is safe to use your blood for transfusion and that the information given at your donation interview is true.

Conditions that make your blood unsuitable for donation

1. Acquired Immune DeficiencySyndrome (AIDS) / HIV infection

HIV infection is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV I & II) .The end stage of this disease is called AIDS. It is mainly spread through sexual contact with an infected person and sharing contaminated needles like those used by intravenous drug abusers. Rarely it can be spread through blood transfusion if contaminated blood is transfused. It can also be passed from a HIV infected mother to her new born baby.

Persons with AIDS have reduced resistance against infection because their body's defence mechanism is significantly weakened. Hence, they may develop severe and fatal infections like pneumonia and rare forms of cancer.

Most people who have been infected with HIV do not know that they carry the virus because they may look and feel completely well. During the early stage of infection called the "window period" (the window period is the time interval between infection and detection of HIV by currently available tests), laboratory tests used by the Blood Bank may not be able to pick up the HIV infection. But they can pass the HIV virus on if they donate blood. This is why people who may be exposed to the HIV virus must not donate blood.

Certain persons are at an increased risk of developing HIV infection and must not give blood.

They are:
· Men and women who have had a positive HIV test or who have AIDS
· Men and women who have had sex with multiple partners
· Men and woman who have engaged in casual sex
· Men who have had sex with another man at any time since 1977
· Men and women who have injected themselves with drugs
· Men and women who are prostitutes
· Men and women with signs and symptoms suggestive of AIDS, i.e., weight loss, swollen glands in the neck, armpits or groins, persistent diarrhoea or rare cancers
· Men and women who have had sex with anyone in these groups.

People who think they may have been exposed to HIV should not donate blood. They should just obtain a HIV test. HIV testing is available at government polyclinics and the anonymous HIV testing clinic (call Tel : 2521324 for information). People who think they may have been exposed to HIV should still not give blood even if their test is negative.

2. Hepatitis (Liver Inflammation)

Hepatitis is a viral disease that affects the liver. Hepatitis can be caused by different hepatitis viruses eg. Hepatitis A, B and C. People with hepatitis get jaundice (yellowness of skin and eyes), dark urine, right upper abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Patients who develop hepatitis B and hepatitis C can become seriously ill and develop complications such as liver cirrhosis (hardening of liver) or liver cancer.

· If you have had hepatitis, ask your attending doctor which type it is.
· If you have had hepatitis B or hepatitis C , you should not donate blood because the virus can be spread through transfusion of contaminated blood with serious consequences for the patient receiving the transfusion.
· A person may have been exposed to the hepatitis B or C virus without being aware of it and becomes a carrier for the virus. A carrier can be diagnosed by blood tests for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. If your blood tests show that you are carrying the hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus, you must not donate blood.
· If you have had hepatitis A, you should not donate blood for at least 10 years after recovery from the illness. You must inform the SBTS doctor about hepatitis A.
· As a precautionary measure if you have had close contact with any person who has had hepatitis, do not donate blood for at least 12 months. You should seek advice from your family doctor about this contact.

3. Syphillis

If you have had syphillis or any other type of VD (Venereal disease or sexually transmitted disease), your blood is unsuitable for donation. People who have syphilis or VD can develop a genital rash, ulcer or discharge, fever or swollen glands in the groins. You should consult your family doctor if you think that you may have syphillis or other type of VD.

4. Malaria

Malaria is caused by the plasmodium parasite that attacks the red blood cells. It is usually spread by the Anopheles mosquitoes but can also be transmitted through transfusion of infected red blood cells.

· If you have had malaria, do not donate blood for at least 3 years after completion of treatment.
· If you have visited a country where malaria is a problem, you should not donate blood for at least six weeks after leaving that country. If you are not sure whether you have visited a country with a malaria problem, please consult the HSA doctor at the blood donation session.
· If you have visited a country where multi-drug resistant malaria is a problem and you have not taken any anti-malarial medication, do not donate blood for at least 6 months. If you have taken anti malarial medication, you must wait for at least 3 years after returning to Singapore before donating blood. However you can still donate plasma during this period. You can ask the HSA doctor at the blood donation session about plasma donations. The multi-drug resistant malaria countries includes Cambodia, Lao, & Cambodia boarder & Lao boarder of Thailand.

Other conditions that may make you unsuitable for blood donation will be made known to you by the doctor or nurse who screens you.

What should I do?

If you have had or think that you may have one of the above mentioned conditions, please do not donate blood today.
You may leave without giving any explanation.
If you prefer, you may discuss your condition in private with the HSA doctor at the blood donation session or you can consult your own family physician.

If you have already donated blood but think that your bloodshould not be used for transfusion, please call 1800-2263320 to inform us as soon as possible.

These measures are applied so that patients receiving blood will not be harmed.