Blood/plasma donation discrimination!!!

Mechanical

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Ok, something I notice when they ask questions for blood donations, they ONLY ask if a man has had sex with a man. It doesn't apply to women! They say it is a higher increse for AIDS, but not! Men, women, gay,straight, bi, whatever... all have the chance to get it! Not just gay men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is discrimination and annoy me!!!! Does this bother other people?
 
It has to do with anal sex.

When a man has anal sex with another man, he's having direct skin contact through it.

With women (lesbians), they could have anal sex... but that would be done with the use of strap-on. That doesn't involve direct skin contact.

That's their reasoning.
 
No, it asks, any sexual contact: oral, or anal... both make you not allowed to donate.
 
There is only one layer of skin between rectum and the bloodstream, so it does somewhat help eliminate if you have a higher risk of being exposed to HIV. Though based on the statistics in Florida, HIV is still highly present in the MSM population compared to the hetero. That they do not also ask this question to women is biased. I am actually quite upset that I did not notice this when I went to donate.
 
The laws are outdated and discriminatory. Gay or bi men who practice safer sex are NOT at any increased risk of HIV. You can try to argue the whole fragile rectum idea, but, last I checked women who engage in anal sex aren't humiliate by being asked their sex practices and then being disallowed to donate.

I personally know a large handful of men who've had / have sex with men who donate blood, plasma, platelets, marrow, so on. If you know that you're HIV negative, LIE if asked about who you have sex with. The person whose life you save will not care who you get into bed with.
 
The demographic in the U.S. with the highest rate of being HIV positive is young black women. I'd love to see the Red Cross try to get away with barring black people from donating. :roll:
 
Yes, I agree. I tried to donate blood but they said I couldn't, first because I am deafblind then because I used to take drugs for epilepsy. I might try again soon and see what excuse they give this time.
 
Yes, I agree. I tried to donate blood but they said I couldn't, first because I am deafblind then because I used to take drugs for epilepsy. I might try again soon and see what excuse they give this time.

:wtf: That is so infuriating! You would think they would try to be the least picky possible since they are so in demand! I guess not. :roll:
 
Yes, I agree. I tried to donate blood but they said I couldn't, first because I am deafblind then because I used to take drugs for epilepsy. I might try again soon and see what excuse they give this time.

I wouldn't know what it is like to give blood since the Red Cross did a good job of making sure I couldn't due to that prison blood scandal in the '80s. :roll:

Oi...

At least the Canadian Forces were kind enough to turn me down because of tainted blood sample, not because of my sight or hearing loss. I just had to try to see what they would say if I try to join the military.

I think I rather take the "tainted blood due to epilepsy drugs" over "sorry, we can't accept your donation because you're (non-blood related reasons)."
 
At least epilepsy drugs sounds like a valid medical reason. Although I wonder how often they come up with "reasons" when the real reason is because they see you as unfit because of deafness or deafblindness or whatever else. :hmm:
 
It would if I was still taking them but I've come off them now.

Whoops, misunderstood. That sounds like a BS reason. I just don't understand why the Red Cross begs and pleads for more donors and then when people stand in line they find the stupidest reasons to turn people down. They screen the blood for diseases anyway. It's not like the blood is going directly to the patient in need.
 
They screen the blood for diseases anyway. It's not like the blood is going directly to the patient in need.

They don't in third-world countries. I am serious. Look at their policy for distributing blood in Africa and Asia. All tainted blood that don't meet the guideline in Europe, developed Asian countries or U.S. go to third-world. It's right there in their mandate too...
 
First they objected about my deafblindness and possible communication problems. Then they objected because of my epilesy as I used to be on Tegretol but I'm off it now. Aparantly you have to wait several years in case you have problems with your epilepsy. I do but it's only petit mal epilepsy so even if I have seizure, it's no big deal.
 
They don't in third-world countries. I am serious. Look at their policy for distributing blood in Africa and Asia. All tainted blood that don't meet the guideline in Europe, developed Asian countries or U.S. go to third-world. It's right there in their mandate too...

:jaw: That is so wrong.

I still stand by my point in a way though because exempting gay men and deafblind people and so on makes no sense at all. Gay men are no longer the leading demographic carrying HIV and there's no reason deafblindness should keep someone from donating.
 
They don't in third-world countries. I am serious. Look at their policy for distributing blood in Africa and Asia. All tainted blood that don't meet the guideline in Europe, developed Asian countries or U.S. go to third-world. It's right there in their mandate too...

Really? That's no good.
 
I don't remember seeing any question related to anal sex with men on those forms.

I've given blood before and I remember the question being something like "Have you had anal sex?" I don't remember anything like "Have you had anal sex with another man?"
 
HIV, AIDS
You should not give blood if you have AIDS or have ever had a positive HIV test, or if you have done something that puts you at risk for becoming infected with HIV.
You are at risk for getting infected if you:

have ever used needles to take drugs, steroids, or anything not prescribed by your doctor
are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977
have ever taken money, drugs or other payment for sex since 1977
have had sexual contact in the past 12 months with anyone described above
received clotting factor concentrates for a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia
were born in, or lived in, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea,Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria, since 1977.
since 1977, received a blood transfusion or medical treatment with a blood product in any of these countries, or
had sex with anyone who, since 1977, was born in or lived in any of these countries. Learn more about HIV Group O, and the specific African countries where it is found.

Donor Eligibility
 
Oh, that's just a warning to let you know that you are at risk if you did the following... blah blah. It doesn't say that you cannot donate blood if you (as a male) had sex with another male. It simply suggests that you take those guidelines into consideration when pondering on whether you have AIDS/HIV or not.
 
Oh, that's just a warning to let you know that you are at risk if you did the following... blah blah. It doesn't say that you cannot donate blood if you (as a male) had sex with another male. It simply suggests that you take those guidelines into consideration when pondering on whether you have AIDS/HIV or not.

That's what I thought too. But I have seen gay men being turned down with my own eyes. :(
 
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