LYNCHBURG, Va. – Donating blood is a great way to give back, but a large group hasn’t been able to do so for decades until recently.
The Red Cross wants you to know if you haven’t been able to give in the past, you may be able to now. Due to an increased need, the Food and Drug Administration is lifting restrictions.
Twelve-month deferral periods have changed to three months for donors with recent tattoos and piercings, as well as the LGBTQ community.
The same goes for people who were in Europe during the mad cow disease outbreak in the ‘80s or have traveled to malaria-endemic areas.
“When these rules went into place, it was probably when all these things were new. It takes the FDA a long time, like it would anybody, to come back and readdress things,” Michelle Dowdy with the Lynchburg Red Cross says. “Having a larger group helps us. It helps us to reach more people, also to include more people in our mission.”
There is always a need for blood donations because the shelf life only lasts a few days.
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