is it true that if you get a tattoo?

Question

Is it true that when you get a tattoo you cant give blood anymore and why?

Answer 1

If you mean donate blood yes, it's true but only for one year.

I donated quite frequently and one of the questions they always ask is "have you had any tattooing or piercing done within the last 12 months?" I had had a piercing done at one point and had to wait the required year before I could give again.

They just want to make sure the blood they are receiving is free of contamination. As one of the articles belows says they do screen the blood but that "it is a waste of the blood bank's and the donor's time to harvest blood that is tainted and thus worthless."
About.com

Now if you mean give blood as in having blood work done for a doctor than no, it's not true and you can give.

Answer 2

Partially.
They usually make you wait 6 months to a year before giving blood after getting a tattoo, piercing, or stretching is done on the body. The reason is safety. It is a preventative method. With any open wound, the chance of infection is very great , and if you have a new one, you could have already formed an infection(without showing signs, yet), or contracted some kind of germ, illness, or disease and they are trying to avoid collecting contaminated blood...so they make you wait to make sure that your blood is safe to use, to make sure you didn't contract anything. They're trying to prevent the spead of potential disease illness.

Keep in mind they don't only do it for tattoos, and if you have a clean, safe, professional tattoo artist, you ahve nothign to worry about. Check liscences, spore tests and certifications for safety and reassurance.

(so if you get one, take perfect care of it, and choose a clean safe artist to avoid infection. BOTH of these are factors to getting an infection, and must not be ignored).

Answer 3

You have to wait a while before you do, but you can give blood. I think its after 6 months or a year you can give blood. The logic behind it is that during that year, if you get anything from the tattoo procedure (hepatitis, AIDS) that it'll take a while to show up in a blood test (make sense?). So, as long as you avoid a shady tattoo shop, you should NEVER get a disease from equipment.

Answer 4

It is recommended that you don't give blood for a certain period of time after having a tattoo, just in case you got an infection, or god forbid a disease. Back in the days when things weren't regulated and kepts sanitary this unfortunately happened.

Here's the American Red Cross's guidelines for giving blood after you have had a tattoo. Other blood banks may have different regulations, so ask, or look them up online.
http://www.ntcsites.com/redcrossmsgc/blooddonationeligibilityguidelines/#tat

Answer 5

As one who gave blood recently, I can tell you that you have to wait 12 months after getting a tattoo or piercing before you can give again.

Answer 6

It really depends on which state you live in. Some states have a certain time you have to wait before you can donate blood.

I know in Oregon, so long as your piercer or tattoo artist was licensed through Oregon, you can give blood the next day if you wanted to.

As far as why, the possibility of transmission of diseases (Hep C, etc.) is always a threat so they are just giving it a time to show up on tests before you spread it.

Answer 7

You have to wait six months to give blood after getting the tattoo.

Answer 8

You will have to wait 12 months after getting the tattoo to give blood. That is to make sure you didn't contract any diseases when you got your tattoo

Answer 9

There is around 12 month limit. I got one about 5 years ago and I gave blood 2 weeks ago.

Answer 10

Thats definitely not true!!
Tattoo or not, you can still give blood!