Everyone Welcome

What Blood Banks Reject,
Researchers Need

HIV-positive. HPV-positive. LGBTQ+. Donors who've been told their blood isn't wanted. Here, it's exactly what makes your donation invaluable.

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✓ No Deferral Periods ✓ No History Screening ✓ 100% Anonymous ✓ $200–$500

Why You're Welcome Here

Research specimen donation is not blood banking. The rules are different — and they're on your side.

Research specimen donation is not blood banking. Under 21 CFR 607.65(c), research specimens are exempt from FDA blood donation regulations. Your specimens go to university labs, pharmaceutical researchers, and diagnostic companies — never to transfusion supply.

That means the barriers that excluded you from traditional blood donation do not apply here.

✓ No sexual history screening

✓ No deferral periods

✓ No discrimination based on orientation

✓ Your specimens go to research, not transfusion

What Researchers Need From You

Your blood is the raw material of breakthrough medicine.

HIV researchers need live viral samples to develop vaccines, study drug resistance, and map pathways toward a functional cure. Every viral load profile — suppressed or unsuppressed — contributes data that cannot be synthesized in a lab.

HPV researchers study immune response, viral clearance patterns, and cancer prevention mechanisms. Your blood helps develop next-generation vaccines and screening tools that protect millions of people.

Whether you were diagnosed last month or twenty years ago, whether you're on treatment or not — your blood carries the biological history that researchers need to end these diseases.

What You'll Earn

Among the highest pay tiers in the Helio network.

HPV-Positive Donation $200 – $300

HIV-Positive — Standard $250 – $400

HIV-Positive — Specialized $350 – $500

Amounts are estimates. Final compensation is set by the study sponsor and confirmed before your appointment.

What the Donation Involves

Same simple, private process as any donation.

Screen

Share your diagnosis and treatment history anonymously. No insurance, no invasive questions. Takes about 5 minutes.

Match

We match your profile to active HIV/HPV studies. You choose which to join and see your exact pay upfront.

Donate & Earn

Visit a local collection site. Standard draw takes 15-20 minutes. Get paid within days. Fully anonymous.

HIV & HPV Donor FAQs

Answers to the questions that matter most.

Does my viral load matter?

Different studies need different viral loads. Both suppressed and unsuppressed HIV+ donors are valuable. Undetectable viral load donors provide data on long-term ART efficacy. Detectable donors provide data on viral dynamics and immune response. There is no "wrong" viral load for research donation.

Can I donate if I'm on PrEP or ART?

Yes — treatment-experienced donors provide essential pharmacological data. Researchers studying drug resistance, treatment adherence biomarkers, and long-term ART effects specifically need samples from patients on antiretroviral therapy. Your medication history is an asset, not a barrier.

I was deferred from a blood bank — can I really donate here?

Yes. Helio is not a blood bank. Research specimen donation is exempt from FDA blood donation regulations under 21 CFR 607.65(c). There are no deferral periods, no sexual history screening, and no discrimination based on orientation or HIV status. Your specimens go directly to research labs.

Is my HIV/HPV status shared with anyone?

No. All donations are anonymous and HIPAA-compliant. Researchers receive de-identified specimens with clinical metadata — they never see your name, contact information, or identity. Your privacy is structurally guaranteed, not just promised.

I'm LGBTQ+ but don't have HIV/HPV — can I still donate?

Absolutely. All donors are welcome regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. You may qualify for healthy volunteer compensation ($50–$200) or other condition-specific studies based on your health profile. Your orientation has no bearing on your eligibility.

What Blood Banks Reject,Researchers Need