By Odewoye Yetunde Theresa
As a Medical Laboratory Science student, I have heard so many people ask, why can’t someone with a tattoo donate blood? Some even think it is discrimination against people with tattoos. But during my posting in the blood bank, I came to understand that there is a very strong scientific reason behind it, and it has nothing to do with discrimination. It is all about blood safety.
We all know blood donation saves lives. But what many people don’t know is that safety of the blood is even more important than the donation itself. One unsafe unit of blood can infect the recipient with a life-threatening infection. That is why in Blood Banking, we take screening very seriously, and that is why people with fresh tattoos are temporarily deferred.
WHY TATTOO CAN BE RISKY:
When you are getting a tattoo, needles are used to inject ink into the second layer of the skin, which is called the dermis. This process breaks the skin and brings blood out. Now, if that needle is not properly sterilized, or if the same needle or ink is used for different people, infection can easily be transferred from one person to another.
Many roadside tattoo artists don’t autoclave their instruments. Some use one needle for many customers just to save cost. In that kind of setting, the risk of transmitting infection is very high, even if the tattoo looks fine on the outside. There are some main infection we are worried about, In the blood bank, when someone has a tattoo, we are not worried about the ink itself, we are
worried about three major blood-borne viruses that can enter through the tattoo needle.
The first one is Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). From what I learnt in class, Hepatitis B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. It can even survive outside the body for up to 7 days. It affects the liver and can lead to liver cancer if it becomes chronic.
The second is Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). It is also spread through blood-to-blood contact. The dangerous thing about Hepatitis C is that many people infected don’t even know they have it because it doesn’t show symptoms early. So a person can look healthy and still be carrying it.
The third is HIV. Although the risk of getting HIV from tattooing is lower than Hepatitis, it is still possible if a contaminated sharp object is used. And as we all know, HIV weakens the immune system. Apart from these three, other infections like syphilis can also be transmitted through unsafe tattooing.
The Window Period: This is the most important point and the main reason why we defer people with new tattoos. In
Medical Laboratory Science, we call it Window Period. Window period is the time between when a person gets infected with a virus and when our laboratory tests can actually detect that infection in the blood.
Let me give you an example. Imagine someone got infected with HIV today through a contaminated tattoo needle, and that person goes to donate blood tomorrow. If we test that blood in the lab using rapid test or ELISA, the result will likely still be negative, because the body has not produced enough antibodies yet.
But the virus is already in the blood. If we transfuse that blood to a patient, that patient will get infected. This is why we cannot rely on tests alone. We have to give time for the virus to show itself if it is there.
For HIV, the window period is about 2 weeks to 3 months. For Hepatitis B, it is 1 to 6 months, and for Hepatitis C, it is 2 weeks to 6 months. So to be on the safe side, we have to wait for months before allowing that person to donate.
WHEN CAN A TATTOOED PERSON DONATE?
Having a tattoo does not mean you can never donate blood again. It is only a temporary deferral.
Based on international guidelines, the American Red Cross says if your tattoo was done in a
regulated facility with sterile technique, you may not need to wait. But if it was done in an unregulated place, you have to wait for 3 months.
In Nigeria, following WHO guidelines, because many tattoo studios are not well regulated, the National Blood Service Commission advises we wait for 6 to 12 months after getting a tattoo.
After that waiting period, if you pass the donor questionnaire and your screening tests for HBsAg, HCV, HIV and Syphilis are all negative, you are free to donate.
In conclusion, deferring tattooed individuals is not punishment; it is protection. It is a safety measure to protect the person who will receive the blood.
As future Medical Laboratory Scientists, it is our responsibility to educate people about this, so they don’t see it as stigma, but as part of ensuring safe blood transfusion. Safe blood truly starts with a safe donor.