How to Donate Blood With Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a disease usually diagnosed later in life, as opposed to type 1 diabetes, which is usually diagnosed during childhood. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body develops a resistance to the insulin being produced in the body. With diet and exercise changes, as well as medication or insulin injections for some patients, type 2 diabetes patients can lead normal, healthy lives. Donating blood is permitted for most type 2 diabetes patients, although there are some exceptions.

Things You'll Need

• Insulin
• Diabetes medication

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine how long you have had type 2 diabetes. If your type 2 diabetes has been diagnosed recently, your blood donation center may not let you give blood. Inform the blood donation center how long you have been diagnosed with diabetes.

• 2

  Determine if your diabetes is well controlled. According to the American Red Cross, people with diabetes that is well controlled can donate blood in most cases. Tell the blood donation center if you have missed any doses of medication recently, have strayed from your diet or if you have any current health problems because of diabetes.

• 3

  Tell the blood donation center if your insulin dosage has been changed within the last two weeks. If this is the case, the center may not let you donate blood.

• 4

  Take any insulin or diabetes medications that are prescribed to you within 24 hours before giving blood.

• 5

  Inform the blood donation center if you have been given a bovine insulin injection derived from cattle from the United Kingdom since 1980. The donation center will likely not let you donate blood because of the risk of mad cow disease.

• 6

  Tell the blood donation center if you have hemochromatosis, which in some cases can cause diabetes. The Food and Drug Administration allows hemochromatosis patients to donate blood, although some enters may not accept it.