Waiting Time Between Getting Body Modifications and Giving Blood Reduced

The deferral period for individuals who have received a tattoo or piercing has been reduced to only seven days. This means that if you have recently gotten a tattoo or piercing, you may be eligible to donate blood sooner than before. Nonetheless, eligibility criteria for blood donation is only seven days as long as a donor received their tattoo in a state-regulated parlor with a sterile needle using non-reusable ink as long as there are no signs of an infection. If those requirements are not met, you only have to wait four months now instead of one year.

In the past, it was recommended to wait for a year after getting a tattoo before donating blood to ensure that there was no risk of transmitting infections. However, in recent years, many tattoo shops have adopted stricter safety measures, such as using disposable needles and ink, which have greatly reduced the risk of contamination. Therefore, if a person with tattoos has visited a licensed tattoo facility and meets all other eligibility criteria, they should be eligible to donate blood.

Not only did the deferral period change for tattoos, but the requirements also changed for piercings as long as the piercing was done using single-use equipment. 

-Tony Lee