Question 1

Can I donate after visiting the dentist recently?

Accepted Answer

For the following dental work:

Scaling or dental filling: you can donate after 1 day.

Tooth extraction: you can donate after 3 days.

Root canal treatment: you can donate after 7 days.

Wisdom tooth extraction (1 or more): you can donate after 1 month.

For more information or if you need further clarification, please call 6213 0626

Question 2

Can I donate blood if I drink or smoke?

Accepted Answer

You can donate blood! However, you should not donate when you're under the influence of alcohol. It is important that you're in the best state of mind when you provide details about your health history to ensure blood safety.

Question 3

Do I need to know my blood type before donating?

Accepted Answer

You do not need to know your blood type beforehand, nor will our staff be able to test your blood type for you prior to your donation. However, following your donation, your blood will be tested for its type and you will be informed of your blood group on your next donation.

Question 4

How do I begin the blood donation process?

Accepted Answer

Donating blood is a simple process. You can prepare for your donation by checking your eligibility [link] and making an appointment [link]. On the day of donation, you'll need to register at the Bloodbank and complete a detailed health assessment before donating.

Question 5

How do I find out my blood type?

Accepted Answer

ABO and Rhesus testing is performed on each and every unit of blood donated to ensure patient-blood compatibility.

If you have donated blood before, you can check your blood group by visiting the online portal [link] (Singpass log-in is required).

If you have not donated before, you do not need to know your blood type beforehand — it will be tested after your donation and you will be informed of your blood group on your next visit.

Question 6

How do I plan my donation schedule around travel and holidays?

Accepted Answer

Travel

Some travel destinations have different waiting periods for blood donation. Consider donating blood before you travel.

Holiday periods/long weekends

Blood stocks tend to dip during long weekends and holiday periods. Consider scheduling your donation during holiday periods and long weekends. This would ensure that our blood-stock levels remain at healthy levels at a time when many regular donors may not be available.

Question 7

How long does the blood donation process take?

Accepted Answer

Each blood donation usually takes 45-60 minutes and up to 90 minutes for an apheresis donation.

Question 8

How many blood groups are there? What do the letter, &#8216;+&#8217; and &#8216;–&#8217; mean?

Accepted Answer

ABO and Rhesus (Rh) are the two most important blood group systems.

Within the ABO system, there are four main groups — A, B, O, AB — determined by the presence or absence of A and B antigens on the surface of red blood cells. If you are group A, this means A markers are present on the surface of your red cells; group AB means both A and B markers are present; while group O means there are no A or B markers on the surface of your red cells.

Within the Rh system, depending on the presence or absence of the RhD antigen, you can be either RhD positive (+) or RhD negative (–).

This results in a total of eight main blood groups: A+, A–, B+, B–, O+, O–, AB+ and AB–.

Fun fact: There are close to 40 human blood group systems recognised by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT), with ABO and Rh being just two of them.

Question 9

How should I prepare? Should I fast or eat specific foods?

Accepted Answer

Please eat a light meal, drink plenty of water and have a good night’s rest before donation. No fasting is needed before blood donation. Should you feel unwell on the day of donation, take a rest and consider postponing the donation until you feel better.

Avoid drinking tea or coffee and consuming calcium-rich foods (milk, cheese, yogurt) with iron-rich meals or iron supplements. Tannins in tea, caffeine in coffee and calcium reduce iron absorption. Have your coffee or tea after your meals.

Question 10

I had a fever, flu and cough a few days ago. Am I still eligible to donate blood?

Accepted Answer

For cold, sore throat, flu or any other symptoms (except for fever), please wait 1 week after you've fully recovered before donating blood. For fever symptoms, please wait at least 4 weeks after you've fully recovered before donating.

Question 11

I have a tattoo. Am I allowed to donate blood?

Accepted Answer

If the tattoo or body piercings was not done using sterile, single use, disposable needles (or if you are not sure), you can donate 3 months after the last tattoo or body piercing procedure.

Question 12

I recently travelled. Can I still donate?

Accepted Answer

Visiting or travelling to different regions of the world may make you ineligible to donate blood for a period of time. This is because some infections caught abroad can be transmitted through blood transfusion.

Please read up HSA’s advisory on blood donation after overseas travel, or call 6220 0183 to check your eligibility.

Question 13

I resided in the UK for a certain period of time. Can I donate blood?

Accepted Answer

The following donors are not eligible to donate due to the risk of transmitting Creutzfeld Jakob Disease (CJD) and variant Creutzfeld Jakob Disease by blood transfusion.

Donors who have been diagnosed with CJD, vCJD or any other Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE).

Donors who are considered to have an increased risk for CJD,

Received a dura mater transplant,

taken human pituitary-derived hormones,

have one or more blood relatives diagnosed with familial prion disease (e.g., familial CJD, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS) and fatal familial insomnia (FFI),

received a corneal transplant.

Donors who have received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland or France between 1980 and present.

Donors who were previously deferred due to stay in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, France and other countries in Europe during the affected period may now donate by apheresis. To know more about the change in criteria, click here.

Question 14

I&#8217;m 16 years old. I want to donate blood. Do I have to submit the consent form?

Accepted Answer

For individuals aged 16 or 17 who wish to donate blood, they are required to submit a signed parental consent form. This is a necessary first step for anyone aged 16 or 17 before they are allowed to register for blood donation.

Question 15

I&#8217;m a foreigner currently residing in Singapore. Can I donate blood?

Accepted Answer

For blood donations in Singapore, you are required to provide your residential address details (valid for 3 months from your intended donation date) for registration and a contact number by which we can contact you in case of an emergency or for clarification is needed.

Question 16

I&#8217;m vegetarian. What can I eat to increase my haemoglobin level?

Accepted Answer

Iron-rich foods, such as lentils, pumpkin seeds, beans, dates, longans, grains, nuts, and green, leafy vegetables can help to ensure you meet the requirements for blood donation. Having a diet rich in Vitamin C can also help as it increases the absorption of iron in your body.

Taking iron supplements a week before your scheduled donation can also make a difference.

At the same time, avoid drinking tea/coffee/caffeine-rich drinks 1 hour before and after food, as caffeine can reduce the absorption of iron by more than 80%.

Question 17

If you are blood type A–

Accepted Answer

You make up 0.3% of the blood donor pool.

Ideal for: whole blood donations

Your red cells can help: A–, A+, AB– and AB+ patients

Your blood is precious for: replacing red cells lost in accident, surgery or childbirth

Fun fact: Red blood cells are red in colour thanks to the iron content in haemoglobin.

Question 18

If you are blood type A+

Accepted Answer

You make up 23.9% of the blood donor pool.

Ideal for: whole blood donations

Your red cells can help: A+ and AB+ patients

Your blood is precious for: replacing red cells lost in accident, surgery or childbirth

Fun fact: Blood types are determined by the different molecules found on the surface of red blood cells.

Question 19

If you are blood type AB–

Accepted Answer

You make up 0.1% of the blood donor pool.

Ideal for: platelet or plasma donations

Your platelets and plasma can help: Patients of all blood types (O+, A+, B+, AB+, O–, A–, B– and AB–)

Your blood is precious for: replacing platelets and clotting factors in bleeding patients or patients with medical conditions such as leukaemia and cancer

Question 20

If you are blood type AB+

Accepted Answer

You make up 5.6% of the blood donor pool.

Ideal for: platelet or plasma donations

Your platelets and plasma can help: Patients of all blood types (O+, A+, B+, AB+)

Your blood is precious for: replacing platelets and clotting factors in bleeding patients or patients with medical conditions such as leukaemia and cancer

Question 21

If you are blood type B–

Accepted Answer

You make up 0.3% of the blood donor pool.

Ideal for: whole blood donations

Your red cells can help: B–, B+, AB– and AB+ patients

Your blood is precious for: replacing red cells lost in accident, surgery or childbirth

Fun fact: B– red cells are resourceful and can help both RhD-negative and RhD-positive B and AB patients.

Question 22

If you are blood type B+

Accepted Answer

You make up 24.5% of the blood donor pool.

Ideal for: whole blood donations

Your red cells can help: B+ and AB+ patients

Your blood is precious for: replacing red cells lost in accident, surgery or childbirth

Fun fact: Red blood cells are red in colour thanks to the iron content in haemoglobin.

Question 23

If you are blood type O–

Accepted Answer

You make up 0.6% of the blood donor pool.

Ideal for: whole blood or double red cells donations

Your red cells can help: Patients of all blood types (O+, A+, B+, AB+, O–, A–, B– and AB–)

Your blood is precious for: replacing red cells lost in accident, surgery or childbirth

Fun fact: Only less than 1% of people in Singapore are RhD-negative, which makes your blood type rare!

Question 24

If you are blood type O+

Accepted Answer

You make up 44.7% of the blood donor pool.

Ideal for: whole blood donations

Your red cells can help: O+, A+, B+ and AB+ patients

Your blood is precious for: replacing red cells lost in accident, surgery or childbirth

Fun fact: Dr Karl Landsteiner first identified the major human blood groups — A, B, AB and O — in 1901.

Question 25

Is it safe to donate blood?

Accepted Answer

Blood donation is a safe process. The average adult has 4 to 5 litres of blood. During a donation, only 350 to 450 ml of blood is drawn. About 8% to 12% of your blood volume (depending on your weight) will be taken during blood donation. The fluid (plasma) portion of your donated blood will be replaced in a few days.

Question 26

My blood donation is often unsuccessful due to low haemoglobin count. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

Iron deficiency can be prevented by eating a well-balanced diet that includes iron-rich foods. Iron from meat and seafood sources is better absorbed by the body. However, you can improve iron absorption from non-meat and non-seafood sources by consuming them together with foods and liquids rich in Vitamin C.

Foods that are rich in iron content can be found in the following (ranked from highest to lowest per standard serving with each category):

Vegetable

Kang kong

Spinach (bayam pasir)

Chinese kale (kai lan)

Meat and seafood

Pork kidney

Chicken liver or pork liver

Lean beef or lean mutton

Canned tomato sardines

Lean pork

Beans, nuts, seeds, soy products

Lentils

Green gram or red gram

Cashew nuts

Sunflower seeds or watermelon seeds

White soya beans

Pistachios

Soya beancurd, tofu

Fruits

Dried figs or dried longans

Dried black dates or dried red dates

Semi-dried prunes

Rice and alternatives

Bran flakes

Cornflakes

Wholemeal pasta

Question 27

The minimum weight requirement to donate blood is 45kg. Why is that so?

Accepted Answer

Blood makes up about 7% of our body weight. We collect 350ml from those who weigh 45-50kg and 450ml from anyone weighing above 50kg.

Collecting less than 300ml of blood is insufficient and taking more than that from someone weighing less than 45kg may cause them to feel giddy.

Question 28

There is a minimum requirement for haemoglobin level. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

Haemoglobin (Hb) is a specialised protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the tissues and returns carbon dioxide from tissues to the lungs. Iron is essential for the manufacture of haemoglobin.

Prior to each blood donation, you will be tested for your Hb level through a simple finger-prick test at the blood donation site. Donors must have a Hb level of at least 12.5g/dL for females and 13.0g/dL for males before they can donate blood. This is to ensure the safety of the donor as frequent blood donations without sufficient replacement of the iron can lead to iron deficiency anaemia.

Question 29

What are the general eligibility criteria?

Accepted Answer

To donate blood, you must:

be aged between 16 and 60 (Youths aged 16 and 17 will need to complete and bring a signed parental consent form)

weigh at least 45kg

are in good health

do not have any symptoms of infection (e.g. sore throat, cough, runny nose, diarrhoea) for at least one week

did not have fever in the last four weeks

have a haemoglobin level of at least 12.5g/dL for females, and at least 13.0g/dL for males. (A test will be administered by trained nurses at the donation site.)

Question 30

What happens after I donate blood?

Accepted Answer

Most people will feel okay after the donation. Some donors might experience slight giddiness. For all blood donors, the nurse will ask them to rest on the donation bench for 10 mins after their donation.

If you feel slightly giddy after the donation, continue to rest on the donation bench after the 10 mins or at the refreshment area. Only leave when you feel ok. It is not necessary to eat more after the blood donation to compensate. Blood volume can be replaced just by drinking plenty of fluids.

You should avoid strenuous exercise after donating. Your athletic performance might be slightly lower for the next 3 days.

Question 31

What is an antigen, and how does it determine my blood type?

Accepted Answer

Antigens are markers found on the surface of your red blood cells, and the combination you carry is what gives you your blood type.

•      Blood Group A has the presence of Antigen A

•      Blood Group B has the presence of Antigen B

•      Blood Group AB has the presence of both Antigen A and Antigen B

•      Blood Group O has neither Antigen A nor Antigen B

Separately, if the RhD antigen is present, you are RhD-positive (+). If it is absent, you are RhD-negative (–).

Fun fact: Each drop of blood contains 200–300 million red blood cells, and each red cell has more than a million markers on its surface.

Question 32

What is the interval between donations?

Accepted Answer

You should wait at least 12 weeks before making your next blood donation. For apheresis donations, the waiting period is 4 weeks between donations.

Question 33

What is the population like for the different blood groups in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

In Singapore, most people are Rhesus positive (A+, B+, O+, AB+), and less than 1% of the population are Rhesus negative (A–, B–, O– and AB–).

Rhesus-negative blood is considered rare and precious because patients who have such blood are recommended to receive Rhesus-negative blood.

Share of the blood donor pool:

Blood type % of donor pool O+ 44.7% B+ 24.5% A+ 23.9% AB+ 5.6% O– 0.6% A– 0.3% B– 0.3% AB– 0.1%

Question 34

What should I do after a donation?

Accepted Answer

To prevent bruising and to promote healing at the needle site, you need to avoid lifting or carrying heavy items for at least 12 hours.

You will also need to avoid undertaking any strenuous or athletic activities for 24 hours to enable your body to adjust to the donation.

Continue to hydrate yourself throughout the day to help your body replenish the donated blood.

Question 35

What tests are done to ensure that my blood is safe for patients?

Accepted Answer

To ensure all patients receive the safest blood possible, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) screens and processes all donated blood before it is transfused to patients.

Blood component processing

To optimise blood usage and to benefit more patients, every bag of donated blood is processed into different components:

Red Blood Cells: used to treat severe anaemia or during surgery, childbirth

Platelets: used for dengue fever, leukaemia and cancer patients

Fresh Frozen Plasma: used to help manage blood clots during bleeding or infection.

Infectious diseases testing

All donated blood is screened for infectious diseases, including HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis E and syphilis. Selected components or units may also be tested for malaria or bacterial contamination.

Blood group testing

This ensures that the donated blood is given to a patient with a compatible blood type.

Antibody screen

This is to ensure that there is no high level of abnormal antibodies in the donated blood that may be harmful to a patient following a transfusion.

Storage of blood products

All blood products must be stored under carefully monitored and controlled temperatures and conditions. They are in an optimal state when transfused to patients.

Question 36

When should I not donate blood?

Accepted Answer

In general, if you're currently undergoing treatment for a major illness or surgery, or (for women) if you're pregnant or experiencing heavy menstrual flow, you're advised to delay your blood donation for the time being.

For donors who have recently travelled overseas, there are also certain restrictions depending on the location you travelled to.

Visit www.hsa.gov.sg/blood-donation/can-i-donate to check your eligibility by doing a short quiz.

Question 37

Where can I donate blood?

Accepted Answer

You can donate at our Bloodbank@HSA, @Dhoby Ghaut, @Westgate Tower, @Woodlands or @OnePunggol. However, apheresis donation is only available at Bloodbank@HSA.

You can also choose to donate at any of our community blood-drives, which are held regularly in different locations across Singapore. To reduce waiting time, you may wish to make an appointment for your donation by calling us on 6220 0183 or making an online booking using your Singpass.

You can also download the DonateBlood App to keep updated on blood drive locations and make appointments.

Question 38

Which blood groups can my blood help?

Accepted Answer

Not all blood groups are compatible with one another, so your donation is matched to patients whose blood group is compatible with yours.

If you are Ideal donation type Your donation can help O+ Whole blood O+, A+, B+ and AB+ patients O– Whole blood or double red cells Patients of all blood types (O+, A+, B+, AB+, O–, A–, B– and AB–) A+ Whole blood A+ and AB+ patients A– Whole blood A–, A+, AB– and AB+ patients B+ Whole blood B+ and AB+ patients B– Whole blood B–, B+, AB– and AB+ patients AB+ Platelets or plasma Patients of all blood types (O+, A+, B+, AB+) AB– Platelets or plasma Patients of all blood types (O+, A+, B+, AB+, O–, A–, B– and AB–)

Find your blood type below to see what your donation does.

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Common Misconceptions about Blood Donation

MYTH

I don’t need to donate because there are enough donors.

FACT

MYTH

Blood donation hurts.

FACT

MYTH

I can’t donate blood if I have tattoos or body piercings.

FACT

MYTH

I can only donate blood once each year.

FACT

MYTH

I won’t have enough blood left if I donate blood.

FACT

MYTH

I can’t donate blood if I drink or smoke.

FACT

Organise a blood drive with us

Frequently Asked Questions

Give Blood. Save Lives.

Celebrating 80 Years of Blood Donation

YouthInspire

Blood Advocacy

One Bag of BloodSaves Three Lives

Support the National Blood Programme

Our Bloodbanks

Charmaine Tan

Jaclyn Phua

Jasper Chang

Download the DonateBlood app

Common Misconceptions about Blood Donation

MYTH

I don’t need to donate because there are enough donors.

FACT

MYTH

Blood donation hurts.

FACT

MYTH

I can’t donate blood if I have tattoos or body piercings.

FACT

MYTH

I can only donate blood once each year.

FACT

MYTH

I won’t have enough blood left if I donate blood.

FACT

MYTH

I can’t donate blood if I drink or smoke.

FACT

Organise a blood drive with us

Frequently Asked Questions

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One Bag of Blood
Saves Three Lives