New York State regulations mandate multiple donor screening steps and procedures to
minimize the risk of infectious disease transmission. All allogeneic blood donors must
complete a questionnaire to ensure that, on the day of donation, they are in good health and
have no known medical condition that would pose a risk to blood recipients or to themselves
during the donation. In particular, donors are closely questioned about possible risk factors
for HIV infection, hepatitis and other infectious diseases believed to be transmissible by
blood transfusion. Finally, donors are told how to confidentially inform the blood collection
organization of information that may render their donated blood unsuitable, if they fail to
declare a risk factor at the time of donation or develop an illness following donation.