It is an essential gesture that saves lives: blood donation. And as of September 1, the president of the French blood establishment (EFS), Frédéric Pacoud was announced to BFMTV, as announced to BFMTV:
“The criteria for selecting blood donors are re -evaluated regularly at the request of the General Directorate of Health. The last review made it possible to develop them in the direction of simplification,” he explains.
It is a decree published in the Official Government magazine on April 10, 2025 that specifies the changes under these conditions. Today, a person who has made an acupuncture session, a tattoo, a drilling or endoscopy could not give for four months. In September, the deadline will be divided by two, going to only two months.
The other contraindications remain the same: weigh less than 50 kg, number of sexual partners, certain trips, etc.
A scientific advance
This “softening” is the result of a risk study of the High Public Health Council that estimated that the new detection methods allowed these changes without danger. The most sensitive and recent methods allow to better identify potential viruses present in the blood, in particular hepatitis C.
“I think this reduction can allow many more donors to be presented to give in this period of 2 to 4 months,” rejoice Frédéric Pacoud.
This change could, for example, allow some young people to access this gesture after a tattoo or drilling. This population, those under 30 only represent one third of donations.
“I invite everyone who can do it to go and give the May bridges during this period”
This change will only enter into force as of September 1, 2025. But the EFS warns of extremely strong needs in the days and next week, during the May bridges period.
During this month, when the French take advantage of the license, as well as during the summer period, donations tend to dry. 10,000 donors are daily that they must be presented to collections to meet the demand for health services. Currently, a hole of 1,000 pockets of blood must already be deplored.
“During this period, we see that blood reserves decrease, activity in hospitals (accidents, operations) does not stop during this month of May,” said the president of the EFS.
“It is very important for citizens to understand that it is an incomparable act, within everyone’s reach. A gesture that takes a few minutes and allows you to save three people. I invite everyone you can do to give during this period, go to the collection centers, help us save lives together,” he says.
Blood, plasma, platelets … Every year, one million people are ordered thanks to samples taken in centers or in mobile collections. The European Donation Registry was recently signed in Paris, in December 2024, after a “marathon” organized by the influencer Arkunir. More than 4,000 donations have been identified in four days.
Source: BFM TV
