Hey everyone!

My partner and I were hoping to start donating blood together, but they're uncertain if they'll be barred from doing so. I tried to find information online about this specifically with the American Red Cross, but have been finding it to be exceedingly difficult.

So here's our issue: while my partner is in more or less perfectly good health, their mother has both chronic fatigue syndrome and lupus. My partner says they tried over a decade ago and got turned away because of that, but we were hoping there might have been some changes!

I read that sometime in 2019 donations from lupus patients had started to be accepted by the Red Cross if certain conditions were met. So surely, a healthy person without lupus themselves should be able to donate, right?

We think we'll be okay on that front, but there's still the issue with the chronic fatigue. Again, my partner doesn't have CF themselves. Is there any way they can donate blood, even if a direct family member has it?

And finally, we're both interested in donating platelets as well! Do the exact same rules for donating blood also apply to donating platelets? Or are there differences?

I'd greatly appreciate any help, info, and insight into this matter!