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Donating Blood

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Menaki-Neko, Jul 18, 2015.

  1. Menaki-Neko

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    Yesterday I donated blood for the first time when I noticed some interesting questions on the questionnaire. Most were understandable, I was asked if I'd had "sexual contact" with a prostitute, or with somebody who had HIV or AIDS, but one question pissed me off a bit. One of the questions asked if I was a male who ever had sexual contact with another male, "even once?"

    What's that about? I'm not one to keep up with everything, but this seems to be a big one to me and I'm surprised that I missed it. Gay men can't donate blood? (Or at least non-virings) This really pissed me off since it seemed to just pick on gay men.

    For those who donate blood as well, is the same thing going on? Is this law or just the individual blood bank's ruling?
     
  2. alilnervous

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    I'm not sure about now, but I'm thinking it's because gay and bi men were for a long time the demographic that is most affected by HIV/AIDS.
     
  3. Gay and bisexual men can't donate blood due to an outdated belief that gay men were the cause of AIDS in the 1980s. It's federal law. It's stupid because straight people don't get a deferral and they're just as susceptible to AIDS as other people

    I think it's now with a 5 year deferral or becoming like that. I just lie about my sexual history and my sexuality as a form of protest against the law.
     
  4. Andrew99

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    I don't ever plan on donating blood. The only way I would was if someone I knew close to me desperately needed it. As for this law I think it's outdated and needs to be abolished.
     
  5. DMark69

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    Because they thought it was a gay disease back in the 1980s, the USA past a law making it illegal to give blood if you are a man who has had sex with a man since 1977. That's right if you had gay sex in Jan 1977 you still cannot give blood, but if you had sex with a prostitute 13 months ago you can....

    It was intended to stop the spread of AIDS before they knew the cause, it was not intended to be discriminatory, but became that way once they had valid tests for the disease. The law should be changed now, since all blood is tested for HIV anyway.
     
  6. Menaki-Neko

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    It's not nearly as bad as you'd think, unless of course you're super afraid of needles, haha. The local blood bank that I donated to had free snacks, soda, TV, and Wifi while they're taking your blood. Plus the guy who took my donation was REALLY hot :slight_smile:
     
  7. Wallace N

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    I don't see myself donating blood in the near future for the simple fact that I'm terrified of needles, and squeamish about blood. I also seem to feel faint after having blood drawn, so I can't imagine my reaction to having that much removed.

    Even if the rule is a bit unfair, donating blood has very tight regulations; they need to be strict about it. It is a serious matter that cannot be screwed around with. While it isn't the case that AIDS is a "gay disease", the rates of it are higher in gay men; anal sex is a major risk factor for HIV. And I do not blame them for being as restrictive as they need to be.
     
  8. Andrew99

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    I know but I can't stand the site of blood or even the feeling of losing my blood. It makes me feel gross and weak.
     
  9. souverian

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    Yep. Just outdated regulations here. It's a bit disappointing, but changes happen slowly, and people have been protesting this.
     
  10. Foz

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    The UK is similar too, you cannot donate blood within 2 month of having sex with a gay man. It's been like that since the 80's and it's time they reviewed it as it's not like straight people don't have AIDS, I've given blood several times as I'm a rare blood group (O-) which can be used with anyone. If a trauma victim comes in and needs blood they use O- as it saves time with testing.

    O- makes up something like 25% of blood use but only 8% of people are O-, I've had a phonecall 3 times asking if I can come in within 3 hours to donate blood so it seems silly that soon I won't be able to donate something the blood service desperately needs.
     
  11. BryanM

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    Even if the MSM blood donation ban was not intended to be discriminatory when it was first implemented (although that's still questionable), it most certainly is now and needs to be done away with. Gay and bisexual men should be able to donate blood and not have nearly as long of a deferral as their straight counterparts who theoretically can also contract HIV. I have a friend who is straight, but cannot donate because he was sexually molested when he was a child by a family friend, and it pains me that he cannot donate because someone took advantage of him while he was a child, even though he is HIV-. This policy effects so many people who are willing to donate blood, and beggars like the FDA and Red Cross can't really be choosy with who they will and will not accept blood from, seeing as blood banks are at historically low unit counts. To those who say that blood regulations should be restrictive and how this rule isn't such a bad idea, perhaps you can tell that to the many hospitals who do not have enough units of blood to do as many blood transfusions as they probably need to do and save more lives. It's absolutely absurd that I as a gay man could donate when I am a virgin, but once I make a decision to have sex and to be in a monogamous relationship and be tested for HIV at least two or three times yearly, if not more, I am banned for life from donating at that point on.
     
  12. Menaki-Neko

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    It's worth it if you had the guy I did :newcolor::newcolor::newcolor::newcolor::newcolor::newcolor::newcolor:
     
  13. RainbowGreen

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    Yes, as you noticed, gay men and bi men cannot donate blood. It pisses me off to see this question when I go donate blood, but I guess I can still donate, since I didn't do anything yet. Here, I don't know if it's like a year or 5 years without giving blood, but it's still nonsense to me. Some of the people they allow are way more at risk than a gay couple faithful to each other. Still, if people die because of the lack of blood, they have no one to blame but themselves.

    On the other hand, did you know that it is legal for gay people to give blood in Russia? Russia of all places xD
     
  14. happydavid

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    Is is about hiv but I don't want to give blood anyway. I don't know if it's true but I have been told that I can't give blood because I have tattoos
     
  15. Daydreamer1

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    It's stupid that bi and gay men are barred, but straight swingers aren't. These bigoted laws are so stupid. I haven't tried to donate in a few years, and was told to come back later since I was coming off medications like lithium and needed to clear it out of me. But still, I hope the laws do change because it's so stupid.
     
  16. Cider

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    I think it's because people believed the stereotype in the 80s that said gay and bi men are just people that sleep around and get STIs

    Is there a greater chance of getting something from anal sex? Yes, but some straight couples do it too.
     
  17. Premier

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    Yeah, we can't donate blood in France either, but because the Court of Justice of the European Union is apparently not pleased, the government is working towards changing that. So, fingers crossed.