Am I eligible?

Am I eligible to become a donor?

If you’re between 18 and 35, you can register to become a donor, and you’ll stay on the registry until the age of 60.

You need to hold a valid Medicare card and be willing to donate anonymously to any patient in the world. However, our donations are always collected in Australia.

There are some other general requirements and a few medical conditions that would exclude you from becoming a donor.

Am I eligible pic

Exclusion Criteria Includes:

  • Thalassaemia major, sickle cell disease, Fanconi anaemia or haemophilia
  • Organ or bone marrow transplant
  • Stroke or heart attack
  • HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or HTLV (human T-cell lymphotropic virus)
  • Any past history of cancer, with the exception of two minor skin cancers – basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Pre-cancerous conditions like carcinoma in situ of the cervix are acceptable.
  • Any history of severe autoimmune disease, including:
    • Systemic lupus erythematosus
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Rheumatoid arthritis
    • Type 1 diabetes mellitus
    • Ulcerative colitis
    • Crohn’s disease
    • Ankylosing spondylitis
    • Scleroderma
    • Sarcoidosis
    • Guillain-Barre syndrome
    • Immune thrombocytopaenic purpura
  • Minor autoimmune diseases may be acceptable, including:
    • Psoriasis
    • Vitiligo
    • Alopecia areata
    • Coeliac disease
    • Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, if thyroid function is stable on replacement medication
    • Grave’s thyroiditis, if thyroid function is stable after treatment
    • Pernicious anaemia, if successfully treated
    • Sjoegren’s syndrome, in the absence of serious auto-immune diseases

Additional information:
Donors who have resided in the UK, travelled overseas, gotten a tattoo, engaged in intravenous drug use or had male-to-male sex can join the registry and become a donor through our cheek swab program.

If you have any questions about these criteria contact us at info@stemcelldonors.org.au