Tattoos, piercings... Certain conditions for donating blood relaxed on September 1st

It's an essential gesture that saves lives: donating blood . And starting September 1st, it will become even easier to be a donor, as Frédéric Pacoud, president of the French Blood Establishment (EFS), announced to BFMTV:

"The blood donor selection criteria are regularly reassessed at the request of the Directorate General of Health. The latest revision has enabled them to evolve in the direction of simplification," he explains.

A decree published in the Official Journal by the government on April 10, 2025, specifies the changes to these conditions. Currently, a person who has had an acupuncture session, a tattoo , a piercing, or an endoscopy could not donate for four months. In September, the period will be halved, to just two months.

Other contraindications remain the same: weighing less than 50kg, number of sexual partners, certain trips, etc.

This "relaxation" is the result of a risk assessment by the High Council for Public Health, which concluded that new screening methods safely allowed for these changes. More sensitive, recent methods allow for better identification of potential viruses present in the blood, particularly hepatitis C.

"I think this reduction could lead to many more donors than would normally come forward to donate within this two- to four-month period," says Frédéric Pacoud.

This change could, for example, allow some young people to access this gesture after a tattoo or piercing. This population, those under 30, alone represents a third of donations.

This change will not come into effect until September 1, 2025. However, the EFS is warning of extremely high demand in the coming days and weeks, in the middle of the May bank holiday period.

During this month when the French are enjoying their holidays, as well as during the summer period, donations tend to dry up. Every day, 10,000 donors must attend blood drives to meet the demand of health services. Currently, there is already a shortfall of 1,000 blood bags.

"During this period, we see blood reserves dwindling, and activity in hospitals (accidents, operations) does not stop during the month of May," the EFS president emphasizes.

"It's very important that citizens understand that this is an incomparable act, within everyone's reach. An action that takes a few minutes and can save three people. I invite everyone who can do so to donate during this time, to go to the collection centers, to help us save lives together," he said.

Blood, plasma, platelets... Each year, one million people are treated thanks to blood donations made in centers or through mobile collections. The European record for donations was recently set in Paris in December 2024, following a "Marathon" organized by influencer Arkunir. More than 4,000 donations were recorded in four days.