Is Blood Donation Allowed During Menstruation?
Based on Point c Clause 2 Article 4 of Circular 26/2013/TT-BYT, blood donors must ensure health standards as follows:
They must not suffer from chronic or acute diseases related to neurology, psychiatry, respiratory, circulatory, urinary, digestive systems, liver and bile, endocrine, blood and hematopoietic tissues, systemic diseases, autoimmune diseases, severe allergies; must not be pregnant at the time of blood donation registration (for women); must not have a history of organ donation, organ transplantation; must not be addicted to drugs, alcohol; must not have severe or particularly severe disabilities as prescribed in the Law on Persons with Disabilities; must not use certain drugs specified in Appendix 1 issued with this Circular; must not suffer from blood-borne diseases, sexually transmitted diseases at the time of blood donation registration.
In addition, Article 5 of this Circular also stipulates the postponement of blood donation as follows:
- Individuals who must postpone blood donation for 12 months from the time of:
+ Complete recovery after surgical interventions;
+ Recovery after suffering one of the diseases such as malaria, syphilis, tuberculosis, tetanus, encephalitis, meningitis;
+ End of the rabies vaccination course after being bitten by an animal or receiving blood transfusion, blood products and biological products derived from blood;
+ Childbirth or termination of pregnancy.
- Individuals who must postpone blood donation for 06 months from the time of:
+ Tattooing on the skin;
+ Piercing earlobes, nose, navel, or other parts of the body;
+ Exposure to blood and body fluids from individuals at risk or infected with blood-borne diseases;
+ Recovery after suffering one of the diseases such as typhoid, septicemia, snakebite, arterial inflammation, venous inflammation, osteomyelitis, pancreatitis.
- Individuals who must postpone blood donation for 04 weeks from the time of:
+ Recovery after suffering one of the diseases such as gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection, infectious dermatitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, measles, whooping cough, mumps, dengue fever, dysentery, rubella, cholera, mumps;
+ End of the vaccination course for rubella, measles, typhoid, cholera, mumps, chickenpox, BCG.
- Individuals who must postpone blood donation for 07 days from the time of:
+ Recovery after suffering one of the diseases such as flu, common cold, nasal and throat allergies, pharyngitis, migraine;
+ Receiving vaccines, except for those specified in Point c Clause 1 and Point b Clause 3 of this Article.
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The law does not stipulate that individuals during menstruation are not allowed to donate blood or must postpone blood donation. Therefore, women during menstruation can still donate blood if they meet the age, health, and other conditions specified in Article 4 of Circular 26/2013/TT-BYT.
However, it is advisable to avoid donating blood in this case because the blood loss during menstruation already leads to a significant reduction in blood volume. Donating blood could result in anemia, physical fatigue, and other health impacts.
Sincerely!
