What if you don't report risk situations?
Safety is the absolute priority. As a recognized blood establishment, we are responsible for providing safe blood products in Flanders. We therefore want to absolutely avoid infectious diseases - such as AIDS or hepatitis - being transmitted from donor to patient via our blood products. Reporting risk situations can be done confidentially.
Help us keep blood transfusions safe
As a donor, you are enormously important to the safety of our blood. Is there a risk situation that applies to you that increases the risk of AIDS and hepatitis? Then we ask you to definitely not donate blood, plasma or platelets. Because failure to report the risk situation can cause a domino effect.
Report a (potential) risk here
Failure to report can have dire consequences
Suppose a donor has contact with infected blood. Or has sexual contact with a person infected with the AIDS or hepatitis virus. If that donor then gives blood, plasma or platelets and does not report the high-risk situation, there could be dire consequences. The recipient who is administered that donor's blood product may become infected with the AIDS or hepatitis virus.
Therefore, report every risk situation!
So it is very important to report any risk situation. Even with the slightest doubt. Both for the safety of the blood transfusion and for the safety of the recipients of blood products. You can report a risk situation via the medical questionnaire, during your conversation with the doctor or health care worker, but also after your donation. From home, for example. This can be done via the button at the bottom of this page or via the toll-free number 0800 777 01. This is done confidentially.
Situations that pose a risk of contracting a blood-borne infection
These situations were determined according to scientific statistics.
You may not donate blood, plasma or platelets for 4 months in these cases:
- You have a new sexual partner.
- You had a tattoo or piercing placed, or an earlobe piercing or permanent makeup performed.
- You injured yourself with a needle or sharp object that had blood on it from another person.
- You snorted drugs.
- You have contracted an STI (not HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C or syphilis).
- Your sexual partner suffers from syphilis.
You should not donate blood, plasma or platelets for 12 months after ending the risk situations listed below:
- Your sexual partner is HIV-positive or has AIDS.
- Your sexual partner has hepatitis B or hepatitis C (to be discussed with doctor).
- As a man, you have had sex with another man. Read all about it here.
- You are a woman and your sexual partner is a man who has had sex with another man.
- Your sexual partner once injected drugs.
- You have had a high-risk sexual contact and want to know if you are infected.
- You or your sexual partner have multiple sexual partners, or participate in group sex.
- You are from a country where AIDS or hepatitis is common and have lived in Belgium for less than 1 year.
- Your sexual partner is from a country where AIDS and/or hepatitis is common (to be discussed with doctor).
- You received money or goods in exchange for sex.
- Your sexual partner engages in prostitution.
- You or your sexual partner paid for sex.
You should never donate blood, plasma or platelets:
- You are HIV-positive or have AIDS.
- You have ever experienced or tested positive for hepatitis B, hepatitis C or syphilis.
- You once injected drugs.
Those deferral periods also continue to apply ans you take preventive medication to prevent HIV infection, called PEP or PrEP (post-exposure or pre-exposure prophylaxis).
Confidentially report a risk?
You can do so via this button or by calling the toll-free number 0800 777 01 (can also be confidential).