Is there a way to get off the blood-donor blacklist?

Nonprofit blood donation eligibility is determined by the Food and Drug Administration (blood is considered a drug). This blood will be transfused into a human being.

For-profit blood donation (i.e., you are paid for your plasma) is determined by the companies purchasing your plasma; they may set virtually any eligibility guidelines they choose because they are purchasing your plasma to use in research and in manufacturing drugs.

It is my understanding that if an ELISA test for HIV antibodies is positive, the test is repeated to assure accuracy and that if the test is considered a false positive, the Western Blot test is then administered. Was your friend tested by the blood bank, or by a physician? ELISA is usually the screening test used by blood banks. False positives can result from the presence of antibodies directed at other infections or by autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

The ultimate answer to this question is: Donating blood is a privilege, not a right; blood banks are extremely conservative and must follow FDA regulations regarding eligibility. In most cases, if there is a chance the blood is not safe, it will be discarded and/or the donor will be deferred (refused).

Your friend may wish to contact the blood bank/plasma center with this question as well.

No. Even with the antibodies, they are not likely to take a chance for the safety of recipients. He can get a part time job instead. Maybe?