Blood
You can make a real difference
What is a blood donation?
Blood that's taken straight from a donor. After it's donated, we usually separate blood into red blood cells, plasma and platelets in our labs.
How long do red blood cells last?
Red blood cells only last 42 days from when they’re donated. Australia needs over 1.7 million donations every year to meet demand: that's three every minute.
Your blood can save lives
Did you know one blood donation can save up to three lives? Just think about how many lives you could change by coming back for more.
How your donated red blood cells help
34%
cancer and blood diseases
19%
anaemia and other needs
18%
heart, organ and other non-orthopaedic surgeries
13%
stomach, kidney and other diseases
10%
fractures and joint replacements
4%
help pregnant women, new mothers and young children
2%
road incidents and other traumas
Your blood donation essentials
How much blood do you give when you donate?
470ml. It's about 8% of the average adult's blood volume. Within 24-48 hours of donating, your body will have fully restored your blood volume.
How long does it take to donate?
10 minutes. But allow for an hour for the whole appointment, which includes meeting with a friendly staff member before your donation and having a complimentary snack and drink after.
How often can I give blood?
Every 12 weeks. If you're keen to donate more often, you can give plasma or platelets every 2 weeks (or 4 weeks after giving blood. Then you can give blood again 2 weeks later).
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Can I give blood?
Are you 18-75 years old, healthy and weigh over 50 kg? Take our blood eligibility quiz, then start changing lives.
Take the eligibility quiz
Why give blood?
We think you should donate blood, but don’t just take our word for it. See what real donors say about why they do it.
See donor reasons
Frequently asked questions
View answers to common questions, including whether you can donate if you're taking medication or have a tattoo.
Find your answer