I am a gold badge blood donor and have been to Turkey a few times. Never had any bother being able to donate when I get back to the UK.

The donor centre staff will have a turkish map where you can show them your holiday location and unless it is SE Turkey near the Syrian border, you should be fine.

Admittedly, I've not been to Side, but a few trips to the Dalaman region and the Bodrum peninsula have never given me or them any problems with donation.

wallbash wrote:

Just popped down to give some blood .... and they don't want it

Spent a couple of weeks in Sidi , its a low Malaria area !!

Is this widely known , have I been blinked ??
Family is fine and we are not at all worried , but had wanted to donate.

Mmm now that is what I find quite worrying about holidaying in Turkey?

Pargaluvva, I don't see your problem. The first time anywhere can be daunting, but if we all took that attitude we'd never travel anywhere at all.

The OP has been misinformed by his local donor centre and he should have another go if he wants to donate - my 50th donation last year came about 4 weeks after a trip to Turkey.

I don't anticipate my holiday in Egypt this year will have a detremental effect on my ability to donate either.

Was due to give blood next month, so having read this post I rang up to query the infromation..............and OP is correct!! If you have visited Side, you must wait for 6 months before donating blood due to low risk of malaria!

I had actually visited Marmaris/Icmeler and was advised that I am able to dontate blood as normal as there is no risk of malaria.They also said visitors to the Bodrum area were safe to donate as normal.

I was quite shocked to hear that as many of my friends have visited Side and none were aware of this or were recommended to take anti-malaria tablets! I'm not sure if TO mention this anywhere, shall have to look!

Apologies to the OP!!

I guess that is Side off the menu then a I give three times a year and don't want to stop now.

Its not going to put me off Turkey , had no intention of returning to Side
not very impressed with the area , although our hotel was fantastic.

Just posted as the info came as a bit of a surprise.