Hemoglobin
The minimum hemoglobin levels required to give blood are:
Men
≥ 130 g/L or 13.0 g/dL minimum
Women
≥ 125 g/L or 12.5 g/dL minimum
If your hemoglobin is below this threshold, you cannot donate for a short period of time (56 days for men and 84 days for women). We may give you a letter that you can share with a health care practitioner who can help you determine whether you would benefit from taking iron supplements.
Note that some people may have hemoglobin levels that are lower than the minimum level required to give blood without it being a health issue.
Black women and blood donation
There is a program allowing women from Black communities to give blood despite having hemoglobin levels under the limit.
Iron
All blood donors should eat an iron-rich diet.
In frequent donors (two or three or more donations per year, depending on gender), iron absorbed from food may not be enough to offset the loss of iron from donations.
Consider using iron supplements. Get advice from your doctor or pharmacist.
Ask your doctor about getting your iron stores checked because you regularly donate blood.
Supplements or multivitamins containing iron
You can give blood if you are taking iron supplements or multivitamins containing iron to prevent your iron stores from becoming depleted.
Low iron stores
You can donate six months after your stores were last measured as too low, as long as they have returned to an acceptable level for donation (ferritin over 12 mcg/L). Ferritin is used to determine the status of your iron stores. It is not measured by Héma-Québec.
Low hemoglobin levels
You can donate once your hemoglobin has returned to an acceptable level for donation.
Frequently asked questions
Iron is essential for the human body. It is one of the components of hemoglobin. It is also found in some foods. It helps your body make new red blood cells and can help replace those lost through blood donation.
A decrease in the iron reserve can result in a sensation of fatigue, a decreased capacity for exercise, difficulties concentrating or even pica (a dietary problem characterized by the ingestion of non-nutritional substances such as ice or chalk).
A sufficiently low reserve can result in anemia, which causes the same symptoms but to a more severe degree. Anemia occurs when the hemoglobin level is less than 120 g/L in non-pregnant women and 130 g/L in men.
It is important to consult your doctor to determine the exact cause of your low hemoglobin, especially if this is your first blood donation. If you are anemic, you should refrain from donating blood until you have found the cause of your low hemoglobin and your level has returned to normal.
No. The test we perform on all donors before the donation measures the level of hemoglobin in the blood. To measure the iron reserve another test, called a ferritin test, is performed.
To prevent anemia, it is important to have a good reserve of iron. Blood donors are advised to make a habit of eating more iron-rich foods.
Frequent donors (men who donate blood at least three times a year and women who donate blood at least twice a year) may need supplements to make up for the iron they lose when they donate blood. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether you should take iron supplements.
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