Question: Can People With Celiac Disease Donate Blood?
Answer: Yes, they can. Celiac disease does not disqualify a blood donor.
According to Debbie Bright, RN, medical assessment coordinator for the southern region office of the American Red Cross:
- "...we don't ask about every detail of a prospective donor's health history. Although the questioning seems extensive, we are interested only in protecting donors' health and safety while providing high quality blood products to patients. Beyond the first question, 'Are you feeling healthy and well today?' I cannot think of any question that would elicit a history of celiac disease, and there is no reason to expect a donor to volunteer this history, except maybe to evaluate the advisability of partaking of snacks at the canteen table afterwards."
The American Red Cross website displays the following general guidelines:
- To give blood for transfusion to another person, you must be healthy, be at least 17 years old or 16 years old if allowed by state law. You must weigh at least 110 pounds, and not have donated whole blood in the last 8 weeks (56 days) or double red cells in the last 16 weeks (112 days). "Healthy" means that you feel well and can perform normal activities. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, "healthy" also means that you are being treated and the condition is under control.
Bright points out, "The last sentence in the paragraph could easily read, 'If you have a chronic condition such as celiac disease, "healthy" also means that you are being treated and the condition is under control."
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