A homosexual giving blood?!

[Graeme]

Plus how can they trust a person that says there a Virgin, they just cannot say pull down ur pants.

I don't know if it is the case in the USA, but in Australia you are required to sign the declaration about your fitness to give blood in front of a witness, and it is explained that you are signing a legally binding declaration -- it is an offense to make a false declaration. I haven't heard that they have ever tried to prosecute someone who lied, but it possible that they could do so.

[Guest raz]

It just bugs me that they're making a connection between two men having sex with HIV. Why does it have to be on the same level as people who share needles or people who have unprotected sex? Argh.

[jalaki]

Yeah, this whole thing is why I want to say I would never, ever give blood even if I were a virgin. But that punishes the innocent and does nothing to the guilty The "logic" - and I use that term in the loosest possible sense - behind the retention of this regulation sickens me. I can understand - sort of, to a degree - how it got there in the first place, when much less was known about HIV in general and every precaution was being taken (but the illogic of that is another topic entirely). However in this day and age, whether you are straight or gay or having sex with someone of the same sex or someone of the opposite sex has very little to do with it anymore. In some ways of looking at it, you're almost more at risk of having/transmitting HIV if you're straight simply because it's seen as "The gay disease". Not to mention the other things that can go through a blood transfusion as well.

 

I've considered just lying and saying "no" and getting through the screening anyway (I do know I'm clean (for various reasons which are all off-topic anyway ) so that part isn't actually even an issue...but damn my inability to be so dishonest! O-neg means they should love me even when spare blood ISN'T in huge demand. But whatever, screw The Man *chuckle* Though I have done some volunteer work when the local blood drives ramp up their twice-a-year things, helping people get set up and being comfortable and seeing if they need anything as it goes on or afterward, giving them their juice/cookies or taking names and information and whatnot...so I guess I can't shake the feeling that I'm still helping support their discrimination

 

Also, ever notice that the female-female sex part isn't a lifetime ban? Yeah, let's go back to that "screw you FDA" thing again

 

Anyway, wtg on your donation(s) Kurt! Keep it up while you can I guess

[jfalkon]

Hi,

 

I find your email exchange with the blood bank interesting. I think who ever answered your question was confused. The questions you are asked before the donation never mention sexual orientation so I do not see how they would care or know if someone was a gay virgin. I have been giving blood for some time and the question never came up. They only cared about possible exposures to infections (sexual or other).

 

I have to agree that the list of questions needs to be updated frequently to ensure safty. The rate of new infections among gay men is not much higher than among straight people these days. I think the concern may be about people who were infected years ago when gay men were more likely to get infected. Sadly many of the people infected then have died or are very ill. They pose no threat to the blood suply. It comes down to someone looking up the numbers and adjusting the questions.

 

By the way, thanks for giving blood! You have more guts than most people. between the needles and the machine many people chicken out.

[lonelygay51]

I am in the same situation. I refuse to lie and told them I was gay and so now I have to go get a card saying I do not have AIDS!

[Adrian Michaels]

You know I had always wondered about this...

 

That question on the card you fill out always bothered me. I don't see where it makes a difference. However, I have friends who HAVE had sex with men and still give blood. I guess they just lie....

 

Honestly, if the blood center tests all the blood (which they obviously do...) I don't see a problem.

 

I guess for now I can keep donating, but unless the rules change , I'll eventually have to stop....

[Graeme]

Honestly, if the blood center tests all the blood (which they obviously do...) I don't see a problem.

They test the blood, but the tests are not reliable. As there are people with HIV who contracted it as a result of blood transfusions back in the 80s, the Blood Services around the world became paranoid on the topic.

 

Because HIV tests can return a false negative in the first month after infection (that is, they report no HIV when there is actually HIV in the blood), and many blood products only have a shelf-life of a month, there is effectively NO reliable test for HIV that they can use.

 

I agree that the questioning needs to be refined and targeted more accurately, BUT I fully support the intention of the Blood Services -- to try to have a blood supply that is as clean as they can make it. Just imagine that if someone you cared for had a blood transfusion and as a result contracted an incurable and ultimately fatal disease -- what would you think of the person who donated that blood? THAT is what they are trying to prevent.

[Ibuprofen]

This became an issue last year at my school when a friend of mine checked off the little "have you had sex with another guy?" box and couldn't donate. The GSA at my school got all ready to send a nasty letter to blood services about how stupid they were being. Thing is that blood services doesn't make the rules, nether does the red cross, it's the government. No matter how many times that I pointed this out to them, brought it up when they were whining about blood services, or reminded them that my mum works for blood services so I do actually know I am right about this, they ignored me and continued to talk about that letter they were going to send to the wrong people.

 

They never did send it, not because they suddenly realized they were going about everything the wrong way, but because they were a pathetic bunch of people that never did go through with anything they planned to do. I could go on my little rant about my schools GSA, but I am pretty sure some of you read it already and don't really want to hear it again.

 

Anyway, if you want to complain to someone, complain to the right people, not the ones who are just doing their jobs.

 

Good for you Kurt for giving blood, everyone who can should, it's needed no matter where you are. And who knows, maybe you will need some at some point in your life and you will be happy you were able to help someone else.

[jfalkon]

I just wanted to clear up the issue about gay virgins. I talked to someone from my local blood bank (red cross in Pasadena, Ca) today and they told me that if you are a virgin your sexual orientation does not matter. They suspect that whoever answered the email was scared of gay people.

[Kurt]

Lol... scared of gay people. That really makes me laugh.

 

Oh! Look at the gays! Careful! They bite!

[Menzoberranzen]

What? Don't you? I know I bite straight people whenever I can...spread homosexual lycanthropy!

[GaryKelly]

First off, always be honest. To lie and give blood is probably worse than not giving blood. Don't ever let anyone think that gays are also liars. The fact is, my friend, discrimination and bigotry are here to stay. Dealing with it takes the kinda courage gays and other minorities know only too well. Ya know, it doesn't take any courage at all to be normal hehe.

[Guest raz]

What? Don't you? I know I bite straight people whenever I can...spread homosexual lycanthropy!

 

It's really their fault for standing so close.

[Adonelos]

Mmm, you know why don't they just change the ? to Have you had sex with a male in the last month? I mean if they test the blood and it then has a larger possibility of showing up... wouldn't that be best?

 

Oh... I bite but I promise you'll enjoy it

[Ieshwar]

Why do we all have to go through this shit? Last month, there was this blood donation activity at my schoool. Of course, I was really excited about it. You can't imagine my face when I read 'Have you ever been engaged in homosexual actvity?' I was just... surpised! I didn't know all this shit. But the frank answer was and is 'NO' (and that's what I said) unless you count writing gay stories as 'homosexual activity'!

 

I was really glad about the idea of giving blood. It's so...self-gratifying. I felt so nice (wanted to give once more on the same day ) Bu if one day, I get involved in a relationship, should I give blood? I think I shouldn't coz it would be dishonest but then, wouldn't it be like punishing the innocent thing?

 

Ieshwar

[Guest Philippe]

I am...uh ...not sexually active.

 

So, I guess I should be okay. I still am kind of worried.

 

Thank you.

 

:wacko:

Since you are "not active," you therefore pass the military "don't ask (if you've had thoughts), don't tell (me that you've acted on those thoughts) policy, and hence are "NOT GAY" according the logic of our US Government!

 

Give all you want!

 

Cheers,

Philippe