Why aren't gays allowed to donate blood?

[twinkboylover28]

Why aren't gays allowed to donate blood to the American Red Cross?

[Guest josephga]

until I had cancer I donated all the time.

[+ ArVaGuy]

Because we are a high risk category due to HIV. Even though they test all the blood before distributing to hospitals now, ARC has maintained this policy for years.

[+ purplekow]

>

>Because we are a high risk category due to HIV. Even though

>they test all the blood before distributing to hospitals now,

>ARC has maintained this policy for years.

 

Unfortunately, testing for HIV does not insure that there is not a non-detectable quantity of the virus in donated blood. Same can be said for Hepatitis.

 

In trying to protect the blood supply, the ARC and other organizations exclude thousands of donors to try and avoid even one blood transmitted disease. This is done by the volunteers themselves, who are expected to answer the screening questions honestly and then by screening tests which might eliminate a donated unit of blood as a result of elevations of liver enzymes as easily elevated by a night out drinking alcohol heavily as by a contagious disease.

[uwsman2]

The policy is dictated by the federal government, through regulations issued back in the 1980s by the Food & Drug Administration, which regulates the blood donation system. The Red Cross does not make these rules, and they have joined with others in suggesting that the current exclusionary policy is overly broad. The scientific advisory committee to the FDA has been debating this for several years, and their most recent consideration of the issue favored keeping the current rule - technically NOT an exclusion of gay men, but rather exclusion of any men who have had sex with another man since the late 1970s, when HIV's presence in the US population is first documented -- but by a slim margin in the voting. Many other countries maintain similar bans. This strikes me as overly exclusionary - certainly, a gay man who has abstained from any fluid exchange sex for several years and has tested repeatedly negative for HIV antibodies over a period of years is probably a safe donor, but would be excluded under this policy.

[+ glutes]

Well well well, isn't interesting that Turd Blossom Lover starts this thread??

ARC = American Red Cross = AIDS related complex.

[+ glutes]

Update for TrollBlossomlover:

 

June 13, 2010

SCRIPPS HOWARD

 

Rep. Mike Quigley is leading an effort to re-examine what he calls "outdated and discriminatory" restrictions on blood donations by gay men.

 

Since 1985 federal rules say that a man who had sex with another man even once since 1977 is banned permanently from donating blood. Yet there's only a one-year ban for a man who has had sex with an HIV-positive woman.

 

The policy was re-examined last week in Washington, D.C., at a meeting of an advisory panel of the Department of Health and Human Services. A change would significantly increase the pool of donors and could boost blood donations nationwide.

 

"By clinging to a 1980s view of the world, we are perpetuating a stereotype," said Quigley (D-Chicago).

 

The guidelines were put in place before HIV/AIDS screening tests were available, and were designed to target specific subgroups where blood-borne pathogens were the most concentrated.

 

But today's rigorous testing techniques have led more experts to question the need for a two-pronged approach.

 

The American Red Cross and America's Blood Centers, in a joint statement, called the current lifetime ban for gay men "medically and scientifically unwarranted."

 

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/2388018,CST-NWS-blood13.article

[KMEM]

Just out of curiosity why did you not start a new thread instead of dragging out one that is 2 years old? That could have eliminated all the name calling and just gotten to the point.

 

The Red Cross has many things to apologize for or to change for the better and this is just one of them.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[JT Brooklyn]

Thread DATES

 

Totally Agree on this! Lately I have to check every DATE when I read a Thread!

 

I'm thinking "Originality" is definitely and Sadly becoming less and less around here!

[+ glutes]

No>>>>> some people give credence to the OP, I am just handing it back.

[Toulouse]

Lift the Gay Blood Donor Ban...

 

One can be a heterosexual man and have as much "risky behavior" with as many women as he wants and continue to donate blood. But, if one is a gay man in a long-term, monogamous relationship, one cannot give blood if he "engaged in intercourse" with even one other hiv- man.

 

Gay men should have the right to donate blood, imo. HIV and AIDS do not exist exclusively in the gay community. A heterosexual male donating blood could also have AIDS. If ARC would allow gay men to donate blood, it would significantly increase the amount of blood available to people who really need it. The ban is "outdated" and enforces a stereotype.

[uwsman2]

the vote again

 

News reports the past few days say the Food & Drug Administration's Advisory Committee has again voted against changing the rule. The Red Cross argued in FAVOR of changing the rule. The Red Cross is not the villain here, the federal government is.

 

And, once again, the rule is based on sexual activity, not sexual orientation as such. They ask sexual activity screening questions of all potential donors, whether gay or straight, and having had sex with another man is just one of many grounds for disqualifying somebody from donating blood.

 

On the other hand, dating it back to 1977 (any man who has had sexual contact with another man any time between 1977 and the present is disqualified) seems overly broad, especially for men who have repeatedly tested negative for HIV.

[Toulouse]

uwsman2, Thanks for the clarification. Are men who have had sex with multiple female partners also disqualified? Just curious.

Thanks again.

[Guest]

And, once again, the rule is based on sexual activity, not sexual orientation as such. They ask sexual activity screening questions of all potential donors, whether gay or straight, and having had sex with another man is just one of many grounds for disqualifying somebody from donating blood.

.

If this were true, the only heterosexual women who could donate would be virgins.

[uwsman2]

donor eligibility guidelines

 

You can look for yourself - google red cross donor eligibility guidelines and check it out.

 

It is true that they ask several questions concerning sexual activity, not just whether a male donor has had sex with another man. But it is also true that they don't disqualifying women who have had sex with multiple partners, unless one or more of those partners falls into the male disqualification categories. So the guidelines are discriminatory on grounds of sexual orientation in that sense.

[KMEM]

The only truly safe blood is your own. If you are having elective surgery and might need blood, why not donate a unit to yourself a few weeks in advance? Of course, this won't work if you are in an accident and need blood NOW. Fortunately, more and more procedures are becoming more and more bloodless. Laparoscopy can be wonderful.

 

Two things that have bothered me about the ARC. One, being their emphasis on cash donations. I understand it is easier to take cash from somewhere far away and convert it into whatever is useful at the "disaster" site, but, if the site is closer, why not take clothes, blankets, etc.? Two, the ARC destroys blood after a fairly limited amount of storage time. No one wishes to use "stale" blood but that is not the real reason. The real reason is because it is costly to prepare it for longer storage. They would rather put out a new appeal for blood (and take the all too often obvious chance of a shortage during "emergency" conditions) than have at least some blood in long term storage.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[+ glutes]

Just out of curiosity, why did you jump into this thread that is 2 years old?

[KMEM]

I don't believe I jumped into the 2 year old, used part.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[instudiocity]

Anybody else see glutinous sparks hitting Memphis Int'l?