Blood Safety Facts

From the moment a potential blood donor walks into a Red Cross donor center until their blood donation is shipped to a hospital for patients in need, our staff performs hundreds of steps to safeguard the blood supply.

The Red Cross conducts a comprehensive donor screening and mini-physical to ensure the donor is eligible to give. Donated blood is then sent to one of the Red Cross's state-of-the-art testing laboratories, where it undergoes at least nine tests for such diseases as HIV and hepatitis.

Over the years, the Red Cross has added new procedures and tests to build on an already safe supply. We continue to investigate new technologies which can further protect our nation's blood supply.

Explore this site to learn more about the many layers of safety in place to help keep patients safe.