EXPLAINED: Who can give blood in Norway?
Giving blood is a great thing to do, but before you go ahead and book an appointment, you'll need to check the rules and see if you're eligible to donate as perspective donors from some countries are banned.
By donating blood, you can help do your bit and potentially save the lives of others. However, some rules and regulations need to be met for giving blood.
The rules mean some groups of people are entirely barred from donating, while others are quarantined from giving blood until a certain time period has passed, for instance, if they get a tattoo or change sexual partners.
So, before you book an appointment and start telling yourself the needle will just be a small prick, you'll need to check whether you are eligible to give blood in Norway.
Before donating blood, it's also important to know that individual blood banks will make the final assessment, on whether you can give blood. So if you are in doubt, you should contact them. However, there are general guidelines outlined by the Norwegian Directorate of Health that can give a broad overview of the rules though.
Can foreigners give blood?
Some foreigners may be barred outright from giving blood in Norway.
The Norwegian Directorate of Health has said that those who were born in or stayed in certain countries and areas can be permanently or temporarily excluded from giving blood based on the risk of certain infections spreading.
People who have spent more than one year in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 or received a blood transfusion anytime after 1980 are permanently banned from giving blood in Norway due to the risk of Jacobs Disease, otherwise known as "Mad Cow Disease", according to the Norwegian Red Cross.
Those who have resided in Sub-Saharan Africa for more than five years are also prevented from donating, with a few exceptions.
Furthermore, those who have visited countries where malaria is widespread will be stopped from giving blood for six months.
Those from the Americas are also blocked from being donors due to the risk of T-Cruzi. or Chagas Disease. However, some places will accept donors who have lived in Norway for six months and presented a negative test for T-Cruzi.
And those with partners from countries with high incidence rates of Hepatitis C are also prevented from donating until five years after the relationship began or six months after the relationship ends.
One more thing to note is that you will need strong Norwegian language skills to donate as the questionnaires.
What are the other rules?
More generally, you will need to be between the age of 18 to 65 and weigh at least 50 kilograms to donate blood.
Those who aren't in good health or with chronic diseases and illnesses are also not allowed to give blood. In addition, would-be donors who take regular medication, with the exemption of some, such as birth control, or blood pressure medication, are normally prohibited from giving blood.
Rules are in place to prevent those at a higher risk of spreading bloodborne diseases from donating. This applies to people who use PEDS, inject drugs with needles and sex workers.
Typically, sex workers and drug users aren't outright banned but are quarantined from their last sexual encounter or use of a needle.
Gay men can donate blood, provided that 12 months have passed since they last had sexual contact. This essentially bars gay men in relationships from donating blood. However, this rule could be set to change next year. The regulations for heterosexual couples mean they have to wait six months since they last changed sexual partners to donate, according to the Norwegian Red Cross rules.
READ MORE: Norway to make it easier for gay men to donate blood
If you are finishing a course of medicine, have an ulcer or have had a virus or infection, you should wait 14 days before giving blood. And if you have had a new piercing or tattoo in the last six months, you can't give blood.
Nose, mouth and genital piercings also lead to people being blocked from giving blood, until they are removed and enough time has passed since they were taken out.
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By donating blood, you can help do your bit and potentially save the lives of others. However, some rules and regulations need to be met for giving blood.
The rules mean some groups of people are entirely barred from donating, while others are quarantined from giving blood until a certain time period has passed, for instance, if they get a tattoo or change sexual partners.
So, before you book an appointment and start telling yourself the needle will just be a small prick, you'll need to check whether you are eligible to give blood in Norway.
Before donating blood, it's also important to know that individual blood banks will make the final assessment, on whether you can give blood. So if you are in doubt, you should contact them. However, there are general guidelines outlined by the Norwegian Directorate of Health that can give a broad overview of the rules though.
Can foreigners give blood?
Some foreigners may be barred outright from giving blood in Norway.
The Norwegian Directorate of Health has said that those who were born in or stayed in certain countries and areas can be permanently or temporarily excluded from giving blood based on the risk of certain infections spreading.
People who have spent more than one year in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 or received a blood transfusion anytime after 1980 are permanently banned from giving blood in Norway due to the risk of Jacobs Disease, otherwise known as "Mad Cow Disease", according to the Norwegian Red Cross.
Those who have resided in Sub-Saharan Africa for more than five years are also prevented from donating, with a few exceptions.
Furthermore, those who have visited countries where malaria is widespread will be stopped from giving blood for six months.
Those from the Americas are also blocked from being donors due to the risk of T-Cruzi. or Chagas Disease. However, some places will accept donors who have lived in Norway for six months and presented a negative test for T-Cruzi.
And those with partners from countries with high incidence rates of Hepatitis C are also prevented from donating until five years after the relationship began or six months after the relationship ends.
One more thing to note is that you will need strong Norwegian language skills to donate as the questionnaires.
What are the other rules?
More generally, you will need to be between the age of 18 to 65 and weigh at least 50 kilograms to donate blood.
Those who aren't in good health or with chronic diseases and illnesses are also not allowed to give blood. In addition, would-be donors who take regular medication, with the exemption of some, such as birth control, or blood pressure medication, are normally prohibited from giving blood.
Rules are in place to prevent those at a higher risk of spreading bloodborne diseases from donating. This applies to people who use PEDS, inject drugs with needles and sex workers.
Typically, sex workers and drug users aren't outright banned but are quarantined from their last sexual encounter or use of a needle.
Gay men can donate blood, provided that 12 months have passed since they last had sexual contact. This essentially bars gay men in relationships from donating blood. However, this rule could be set to change next year. The regulations for heterosexual couples mean they have to wait six months since they last changed sexual partners to donate, according to the Norwegian Red Cross rules.
READ MORE: Norway to make it easier for gay men to donate blood
If you are finishing a course of medicine, have an ulcer or have had a virus or infection, you should wait 14 days before giving blood. And if you have had a new piercing or tattoo in the last six months, you can't give blood.
Nose, mouth and genital piercings also lead to people being blocked from giving blood, until they are removed and enough time has passed since they were taken out.
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