Find a Blood Drive
Find a Blood Drive
Being informed about our health is key to preventing chronic illness and saving lives. To help our donors maintain their well-being, the American Red Cross will expand its health offerings to include A1C testing, commonly used to screen for prediabetes and diabetes, to all donors who successfully give blood, platelets or plasma March 1-31, 2025. Test results will be available in one to two weeks through the Red Cross Blood Donor App or a donor’s account at RedCrossBlood.org.
Diabetes is a condition that prevents the body from effectively turning food into energy. For an individual with diabetes, the body either struggles to produce insulin – a hormone produced in the pancreas that helps convert sugar into energy – or cannot use insulin properly, leading to elevated blood glucose (blood sugar) levels.
There are two main types of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes – along with a precursor condition called prediabetes. With more than 38 million people in the U.S. living with diabetes, and about 90% of cases being Type 2 diabetes, awareness and early detection are crucial. However, many people with prediabetes or early-stage Type 2 diabetes rarely have symptoms until the condition has advanced to the point of organ damage. This may explain why 8.7 million people in the U.S. have undiagnosed diabetes, and the majority of those with prediabetes are unaware of their condition.
People with prediabetes and diabetes are generally eligible to donate blood, platelets and plasma if they are feeling well and their diabetes is well managed.
Can I donate blood if I have diabetes or insulin resistance that is managed with insulin or other medications?
In most situations, the type of medication you take to manage your diabetes or insulin resistance won't disqualify you from donating blood. Whether you take insulin injections like Apidra or Humalog, an injected diabetes medication like Ozempic or Mounjaro, or oral medications like metformin, you are still eligible to donate if your diabetes or insulin resistance is currently under control.
There are three standard tests medical professionals use to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes:
Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test: A blood test that screens for diabetes by measuring blood sugar after fasting for at least 8 hours.
Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): A blood test that measures blood sugar two to three hours after drinking a sugar solution.
Hemoglobin A1C (A1C) test: A blood test that measures average blood sugar over the past three months. No fasting is needed.
The A1C test is one of the most common blood tests used to diagnose diabetes and monitor blood sugar levels. It measures the percentage of hemoglobin in red blood cells bound to glucose. A high A1C level may indicate prediabetes or diabetes. This test does not require fasting and provides an average blood sugar level over the past three months. Once diagnosed, individuals may be prescribed medications, daily insulin or other health interventions to manage their blood sugar levels.
Being informed about our health is key to preventing chronic illness and saving lives. To help our donors maintain their well-being, the American Red Cross will expand its health offerings to include A1C testing, commonly used to screen for prediabetes and diabetes, to all donors who successfully give blood, platelets or plasma March 1-31, 2025. Test results will be available in one to two weeks through the Red Cross Blood Donor App or a donor’s account at RedCrossBlood.org.