- Australia has one of the safest blood supply systems in the world.
- You can donate whole blood every 12 weeks.
- O negative blood is universal and can be given to anyone.
- Plasma and platelet donations can be made every 2 weeks.
- Every whole blood donation can save 3 lives.
- 1 in 3 people will need blood. Only 1 in 30 gives blood.
- Australia needs over 27,000 blood donations every week.
- 470mL of blood is collected when you give whole blood.
- Within 24-48 hours of giving blood, your blood volume is completely restored.
- Giving blood only takes about an hour.
- Plasma donations can be used to make 17 different products.
- Red blood cells have a shelf life of 42 days.
- 34% of donated blood goes towards helping cancer patients.
- You can start giving blood at 16.
- The blood service has been collecting blood for over 80 years.
- Many donor centres have a courtesy bus.
- You can donate double platelets – helping twice as many people.
- Platelets have a shelf life of only 5 days.
Am I eligible to give blood?
Find out if you are eligible by taking our quiz.
You can also learn more about why some Australians are not able to give blood with our FAQ's.
Who can give blood – find out more
Most people are able to give blood if they:
- are fit, healthy and not suffering from a cold, flu or other illness at the time of donation or in the previous 7 days
- are aged between 16-70 years (in QLD and WA 16-17 year olds require parental consent)
- weigh more than 45kg (16-17 year olds need to weigh more than 50kg)
- are prepared by having plenty of liquid the day before donation, especially in warm weather. In addition, in the 3 hours before donating, please drink at least 3 good-sized glasses of water/juice.
- eat something in the 3 hours before donating
- bring ID. Please bring at least one form of photo identification.
DONOR POLICY FACT SHEETS
Below are fact sheets which explain the reasoning behind a couple of commonly queried donor deferral criteria.
- Male to male sex
- Residency in the UK between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1996
Check our FAQs for more information about specific eligibility criteria.
Male to male sex Fact Sheet.pdf (12k)
Residency in UK 1980-1996 Fact Sheet.pdf (19k)
Information for travellers
If you have been overseas recently, or are planning to go, take a look at our map to see whether you are able to donate when you return.
Please read our malaria brochure if you have visited or are planning to visit a country where malaria is present.