I had that same problem. Listen... they take all the correct measures to make sure that the blood that they're given isn't contaminated in any way shape or form. It's only this negative stigma that men who have sex with men automatically get hiv/aids that has that whole rule still in place. In fact, there are MANY countries (other Red Cross) who have removed that stupid (cause it is) rule.

I don't feel like I'm putting anyone in danger by taking the time to donate blood.

In fact, I had a heterosexual friend, who went and gave blood (she hadn't had sex with anyone), and later received a letter from the red cross telling her that blood tested positive for HIV. Well she was distraught to say the least, and she told her parents, and they went to the doctors and got her tested. She wasn't positive. But she was now on the list of people who could not donate blood. And she will never be able to donate blood, even though she's been tested and her test came back negative.

So anyways. What I'm saying is you should give blood if you feel comfortable doing so. They have the resources to make sure that if you have any contagious disease, virus, to not give your blood to a doner. If they f**k up, that's on them. Not you.

James

Over the years, I donated approximately three gallons of blood to the Red Cross. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I immediately became unacceptable. That was 12 years ago and I still receive mail and phone calls asking me to donate. It doesn't matter how often I remind them or request they remove me from their contact list. It is aggravating.

The best advice I can give you is to ignore the requests and don't violate the established protocols. Tell them you have cancer; if you are lying anyway, you might as well get a little sympathy.

The other thing you can do is simply say "sorry, I'm ineligible." without going into any detail. There are all sorts of reasons why people can be ineligible. There was the time I had been with a group of people who shared a bottle of vodka, all drinking directly out of the bottle, and then it turned out one of us was in diagnosed with hepatitis the next week. We were all at risk until the potential incubation period of several months had passed. None of the rest of us got hepatitis (the alcohol of the vodka being a sterilizing factor, probably), but until we were in the clear, it was the prudent thing not to give blood.

--Rigel

I've got B- blood and they hounded me for some time until I told them that my boyfriend didn't like it when I was a quart low.

James, I like your humour. These rules are stupid.There are much more people with hepatitis than with HIV and thats has nothing to do with gayness.

I was a donor myself during years, but I stopped when these rules were decided.

BTW, the blood collecting organisations here in Switzerland (Red Cross) give the blood to private laboratories which sell it to the hospitals. I dont like this commercial aspect, which came public when the laboratories increased their prices and the hospitals (state owned)complained in the newspapers.

I didn't even know you couldn't donate your blood if you were gay!

it's perfectly possible up here ...