I have been thinking about donating blood, but have a metal rod in my leg from when it was broken badly. The reason i am alive today is because people donated blood.

Does anyone know if one can give blood with metal in their body?  

Since they take blood from people with amalgam fillings and teeth implants I would assume they take blood from people with metal rods in them.

although when people have heart / bacterial problems they take those out of the actual patient.

so many contraindications in medicine today lol

I have read of many risks associated with receiving others blood though, like how it affects the brain. albeit if you had to have it done there is not much choice really.

go to the nearest blood bank and have them tell you
they ll do the necessary tests

If you go onto the Red Cross site, I believe they list the criteria there.  I have a metal rod and some screws in one leg and I don't think it affects the quality of the blood.  What they do ask about is weight (can't be too underweight) and whether you've had certain cancers, etc.  

You need to check with your local blood bank, whatever it's called. It's not "The Red Cross" near me; it's NYBC (New York Blood Center.) There's no need to go all the way down there just to find out if you're eligable. They should have a website, and you may find your questions answered there. If you can't find all the answers online, you can email or call them.

The rules about who can give blood can seem rather confusing. Some of the rules are about making sure the blood is safe (such as not accepting if if you've visited certain countries) and other rules are about making sure that donating blood is safe for you (such as weight minimums, requiring doctor's notes for specific medical conditions, etc.) The rules about medications can fall into either category.

Hello Easy E

First of all, that's a very good intention you have.  As far as I know having a metal in your body doesn't restrict you from donating blood.  However if you have received blood before ( blood transfusion ) then you cannot donate. In the UK we can check it from here http://blood.co.uk/can-i-give-blood/donor-health-check/ but since you're in LA, it's best for you to check with your local Blood Centre as they might have different sets of rules & requirement.  Thanks.

Thanks for the answers!  I'll try it out and see what happens.  I gave blood in high school once, but that was before i ever recieved blood and had metal put in me.  I recieved a lot of blood, O- in the er and A+ after surgery.

In the USA, I think receiving blood only disqualifies you for 12 months. It's certainly worth checking out.

I don't think the metal rod in your leg would disqualify you from giving blood but, as has been stated, they can for sure tell you yes or no on the phone regarding that situation, if you call your local blood bank.  They have very detailed, specific Standard Operating Procedures, subject to regulations by the FDA and other organizations, that tell them exactly who can and who cannot donate.  I work at a blood bank and I believe currently we are up to 53 questions that donors must answer in order to screen them as to if their blood will be safe for recipients, and also as to if donating blood will be a safe process for the donor her or himself to undergo.  Then, if you do meet the initial criteria, they also test your blood for a zillion things before finally accepting it.

That is awesome that you want to give back!