We require all of our donors to provide us with a blood sample before they are able to give a full platelet donation. There are multiple reasons for this. We test your blood to make sure your platelet count is high enough for it to be safe for you to donate We test to make sure your blood is free of bloodborne pathogens. This ensures the patients receiving your platelets stay safe. There are many pathogens we test for but some of the more well-known bloodborne pathogens we test for are: Hepatitis B Hepatitis C HIV Syphilis West Nile Virus We want to be respectful of your time. A full donation can take up to 3 hours, if we cannot accept your platelets due to any reason, we want you to know before you make a commitment to become a platelet donor with us.