Health status and blood donation

The following criteria must be met by blood donors:

Allergies

You can give blood if you feel well, even if you have received an allergy shot.

Cancer

You can give blood if you have had basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or in situ cervical cancer, as long as it has been treated successfully. Ask Héma-Québec about other types of cancer.

Cholesterol

You can give blood regardless of your cholesterol levels.

Diabetes

You can give blood if your diabetes is in remission or is controlled by diet or oral medication.

If you inject insulin, click here

Sore throat

You cannot give blood if you have symptoms and, if you take antibiotics, until the antibiotic treatment is finished.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

If any of your close relatives (parent, child or sibling) has familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, you cannot give blood.

Cold

You can give blood if you feel well and don’t have a fever. 

Diabetes

You can give blood if your diabetes is in remission or is controlled by diet or oral medication. If you inject insulin, consult the following details that apply to your situation.

  • Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes)
    You can give blood if: 

    • You ate two hours before donating

    • You haven’t had any serious episodes in the past 3 months

    • You don’t currently have a foot or leg ulcer

    • You don’t usually get dizzy or have vertigo while standing 

  • Type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus) 
    You can give blood if: 

    • You haven’t had any serious episodes in the past 3 months

    • You don’t currently have a foot or leg ulcer

    • You don’t usually get dizzy or have vertigo while standing 

For other types of diabetes, please ask a Héma-Québec staff member.  

Would you like to donate?

Book an appointment

Want to help in some other way?

View all the ways you can help