Donate Blood at the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center
Donating blood takes just one hour of your time. Donating platelets takes approximately two and a half to three hours. The impact of your donation lasts a lifetime.
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How many lives will you save by donating blood?
Think of someone you know who has had cancer, a traumatic injury from an accident, or serious surgery. They likely received blood components.
The man who was in a near-fatal motorcycle crash. The woman who suffered massive blood loss after childbirth. The teenager who had heart transplant surgery. The toddler with cancer who needs blood transfusions.
These people are alive today because of blood and platelet donations.
If you’re unsure about donating, think of the ones you’re helping. They are real.
Donate Blood or Platelets Today
To speak with a staff member, please call us at (310) 825-0888, select option 2 or via email at [email protected].
For a Directed Donation to a specific patient, please call (310) 794-7207.
What you need to know:
- The FDA recently issued new evidence-based guidelines to determine donor blood eligibility that is more inclusive and assesses every donor regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
- The new Donor History Questionnaire (DHQ) is gender-neutral, and all donors are asked all of the same questions.
- The DHQ contains new screening criteria that ask about risks related to travel, medication, high-risk behaviors (defined by the FDA), and sexual activity.
- We acknowledge there is more work to be done, but we support the FDA and other professional organizations, such as the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB), in the progress that has been made.
What’s in it for YOU?
Everyone has different reasons for donating blood or platelets. Maybe you’re doing it for someone you know, or you want free snacks. Either way, here’s what YOU get when you donate blood:
- Satisfaction from knowing you’re saving lives
- The chance to help save the life of a member of the community – or even a family member or friend
- Free cookies and juice
- Great thank you gifts such as movie tickets, gift cards, and/or seasonal items
- A warm, fuzzy feeling because it’s the right thing to do
Donating blood or platelets is safe and easy. Our equipment is brand new, sterile and disposable, and your time can save a life.
Blood donor eligibility
You must meet certain criteria to donate blood or platelets. To guarantee a safe blood supply, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires us to adhere to specific eligibility requirements. You must:
- Be at least 17 years old or have a UCLA Blood and Platelet Center parental consent form
- Weigh at least 110 pounds
- Be in good health
- Have not donated blood in the past 56 days
Why choose The UCLA Blood & Platelet Center?
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center consistently ranks as one of the top American hospitals — and the best hospital in the western United States. Why? UCLA Health:
- Has one of the world’s most active organ transplant programs.
- Is a Trauma Center, safeguarding the health of more than four million residents in western LA County.
- Is a major center for the treatment of cancer.
With these great accomplishments come great responsibilities. Perhaps no greater among them is providing exceptional care to every patient who walks through our doors. The high level of care we provide is possible thanks to the tremendous number of blood donations we receive each year.
But we still need to expand resources and increase the number of donors — to reach our goal of 100 percent donation supply to our hospitals.
We have one belief: The well-being of our blood supply plays a critical role in the well-being of our patients.
We have two goals:
- Providing peace of mind for the patients of the UCLA Health hospitals
- Providing a positive and rewarding experience for our donors
Vaccination and blood donation FAQs
With the COVID-19 vaccine rollout ongoing nationwide, some donors and patients have questions about vaccination, blood donations and blood transfusions. AABB’s experts have compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Contact Us
We are here to help. To speak with a staff member, please call us at 310-825-0888, select option 2. If online communication is better for you, please email us at [email protected]