Poll: Donating blood

[TheYellowCellPhone]

There are places that won't let you donate because of your sexual orientation! O.O


Anyway, I would donate but I'm only 17 and I think you have to be 18. I would totally do it.

Yeah, blame the AIDS scare. People think since gays are more liable to get AIDS because of da buttsecks, it'd be easier to ban them instead of screening them for AIDS. Donated blood is completely safe, however.

And for the second, you can donate blood when you turn 16 if you have your parents sign a form.

 

[Libra]

I'm afraid needles freak me out too much. I'm also gay, but not 'active' so to speak. Still, needles are a big no for me

 

[Insertclevername]

There are places that won't let you donate because of your sexual orientation! O.O


Anyway, I would donate but I'm only 17 and I think you have to be 18. I would totally do it.

Yeah, blame the AIDS scare. People think since gays are more liable to get AIDS because of da buttsecks, it'd be easier to ban them instead of screening them for AIDS. Donated blood is completely safe, however.

And for the second, you can donate blood when you turn 16 if you have your parents sign a form.

Ah, I forgot about the whole AIDS thing. That's real annoying for those who are homosexual that they won't even test them.


As for the permission, I don't even think my school mentioned that! The bastards!

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

There are places that won't let you donate because of your sexual orientation! O.O


Anyway, I would donate but I'm only 17 and I think you have to be 18. I would totally do it.

Yeah, blame the AIDS scare. People think since gays are more liable to get AIDS because of da buttsecks, it'd be easier to ban them instead of screening them for AIDS. Donated blood is completely safe, however.

And for the second, you can donate blood when you turn 16 if you have your parents sign a form.

Ah, I forgot about the whole AIDS thing. That's real annoying for those who are homosexual that they won't even test them.


As for the permission, I don't even think my school mentioned that! The bastards!

It could be different from state to state, I don't know. I think if you'd ask the school they'd give you a form. My school does a thing where upperclassmen walked around, asked for names, wrote down the times people would donate, and handed forms to the underaged folk.

 

[PH3NOmenon]

No I'm gay and backwards arseholes stop me

There's no dire shortage of blood, so why take the risk? They don't stop homosexuals from donating blood "because maybe the gay's contagious!" but because statistically they're a higher risk group. I'd prefer blood being 99.9% safe and not letting homosexuals donate rather than it being 99.85% safe just so nobody gets their feelings hurt. And testing for aids is all well and good, but there's a non-detection period. It's okay to disagree on this (the reasoning is a bit flimsy after all) but "backwards arseholes" is wholly unneeded.


I donate blood twice a year and blood plasma more regularly. Donating plasma actually takes a bit longer because it needs to be filtered out and you're hooked up to the machine while that happens but your body regenerates plasma quicker than it does blood. That and plasma is actually used more often than straight up blood, so the centres actually prefer you donate that.

Round these parts you also got a day's paid off work when you went and donated blood. They abolished that quite recently and boy howdy did donations drop off!

 

[White Lightning]

I don't donate blood, I would if they would like... keep it stored incase I ever needed it and they asked me if they could give it to someone. I mean I would probably be ok with it unless the person who needed was a jerk in which case I would say no...

Am I a bad person?

Probably but it's more fun BWAHAHAHAAHAH!!!

 

[The Event]

I used to donate, though I was a very slow bleeder and it was quite an effort to get anything out of me.
I don't anymore as people wouldn't like the drugs that are floating around in my blood.

 

[J9ACK9]

What about the "I'm not about to donate blood to organizations that discriminate against gay people" selection?

Is that just the "No" one? Cause' that's the one I'm going with.

That's real brave, bro. Let's fight for equality by denying some person a transfusion and a chance to live. Gee, I just hope this person wouldn't turn out to be a gay one, because oh the irony.

Has nothing to do with "bravery", bro. I've donated plenty over the course of my life, but I'm not giving it to groups who seem to consider gay people the soul carriers of HIV.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Has nothing to do with "bravery", bro. I've donated plenty over the course of my life, but I'm not giving it to groups who seem to consider gay people the soul carriers of HIV.

Question. If its wrong to donate to those people you think its wrong to take from them yes? Would you say no to a transfusion from those groups if your life depended on it? If you would thats hypocritical. Happy to take from a group youre disgusted to give to doesnt make a lot of sense.

OT: I think its a persons duty to give blood if they can (within reason). If you are willing to accept blood to save your life then its selfish to think only others should contribute while you benefit. If you are willing to take from a system you should be willing to give to it. Anything else is a little hypocritical ie I deserve everyone elses blood but they dont deserve mine. If you have good reasons or its traumatizing mentally then thats ok i guess. My general rule is that if you expect someone to help you in a certain way its only reasonable for them to expect you to help them in turn in the same way. Its my duty to do for others everything i would like or expect them to do for me. I think for the sake of saving lives blood should be available to all. But if you can give you should. Same goes with organs. Although with organs its far worse since people actually die far more often. I intend to give blood very shortly, ive been vaccinated for hep recently though so i need to wait a week.

I agree the homosexual rule is appauling and misguided. Hopefully during my medical career I can put some sort of voice behind removing such an ass backward rule. I dont think its a good reason to withhold a potentially life saving resource though. Some stuff is too serious to protest in such a manor.

 

[krazykidd]

I don't donate blood . I don't plan to either . Not interested . Then again i'm not the kind of person who goes out of his way to help someone else . I would help if it benefits me , but blood donations are free so fuck that . Not a organ donor either.

Of course this means that i don't expect to receive blood or organs if i'm in an accident . But i'm perfectly fine with that . I have no problems with dying .

 

[J9ACK9]

Has nothing to do with "bravery", bro. I've donated plenty over the course of my life, but I'm not giving it to groups who seem to consider gay people the soul carriers of HIV.

Question. If its wrong to donate to those people you think its wrong to take from them yes? Would you say no to a transfusion from those groups if your life depended on it? If you would thats hypocritical. Happy to take from a group youre disgusted to give to doesnt make a lot of sense.

OT: I think its a persons duty to give blood if they can (within reason). If you are willing to accept blood to save your life then its selfish to think only others should contribute while you benefit. If you are willing to take from a system you should be willing to give to it. Anything else is a little hypocritical ie I deserve everyone elses blood but they dont deserve mine. If you have good reasons or its traumatizing mentally then thats ok i guess. My general rule is that if you expect someone to help you in a certain way its only reasonable for them to expect you to help them in turn in the same way. Its my duty to do for others everything i would like or expect them to do for me. I think for the sake of saving lives blood should be available to all. But if you can give you should. Same goes with organs. Although with organs its far worse since people actually die far more often. I intend to give blood very shortly, ive been vaccinated for hep recently though so i need to wait a week.

I agree the homosexual rule is appauling and misguided. Hopefully during my medical career I can put some sort of voice behind removing such an ass backward rule. I dont think its a good reason to withhold a potentially life saving resource though. Some stuff is too serious to protest in such a manor.

Believe me, as soon as progressive medical professionals such as yourself can do away with discriminatory policies such as those, I'll be first in line for the platelet donations, I promise.
Every single drop of blood that blood banks get is prescreened for a wide variety of diseases before it's ever given to another human being, thus effectively (as far as I can see) eliminating any significant need to bar specific groups of people from trying to donate.
I'm perfectly happy to give blood, have plenty of times in the past, but any group that continues to promote the sigma that gay people are somehow "unfit" to give blood at all only helps perpetuate the stereotype that homosexuals are more promiscuous and more unsafe sexually than other people.
You are correct, it WOULD be hypocritical of me had I never donated blood before, but expected some in the event that I ever needed any, but that's not the case, as I've been giving blood since, like, 1998. Maybe 1999.

You know what IS hypocritical, though? Claiming an "Urgent Need" for blood, and then preventing perfectly healthy, viable donors based on their sexual preferences alone.

 

[EvilRoy]

There are places that won't let you donate because of your sexual orientation! O.O


Anyway, I would donate but I'm only 17 and I think you have to be 18. I would totally do it.

Yeah, blame the AIDS scare. People think since gays are more liable to get AIDS because of da buttsecks, it'd be easier to ban them instead of screening them for AIDS. Donated blood is completely safe, however.

And for the second, you can donate blood when you turn 16 if you have your parents sign a form.

Ah, I forgot about the whole AIDS thing. That's real annoying for those who are homosexual that they won't even test them.


As for the permission, I don't even think my school mentioned that! The bastards!

It could be different from state to state, I don't know. I think if you'd ask the school they'd give you a form. My school does a thing where upperclassmen walked around, asked for names, wrote down the times people would donate, and handed forms to the underaged folk.

Here in Alberta you have to wait six years following gay sex to be allowed to donate. This is an improvement over the previous system where, and I can quote the question from memory, "Have you ever had gay sex, even once" was enough to disqualify you immediately.

OT:

I donate once per 56 days for wholly selfish reasons. The density of blood stands at approx 1060 kg/m3, and a unit of blood is 0.45 L, therefore following a donation I can state without lying that I have lost (1060/1000*0.45) = 0.477 kg. Feels good.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

You are correct, it WOULD be hypocritical of me had I never donated blood before, but expected some in the event that I ever needed any, but that's not the case, as I've been giving blood since, like, 1998. Maybe 1999.

You know what IS hypocritical, though? Claiming an "Urgent Need" for blood, and then preventing perfectly healthy, viable donors based on their sexual preferences alone.

Well i cant fault you sir. Thanks by the way, theres some serious issues with medicine as it is right now and I'm just devouring books about how these problems arise and how you can go about fixing them (Ben Goldacre i love you so) so this stuff really gets to me on a personal level. I used to idolise the medical community. I thought they could do no wrong. Further reading, a little more maturity and a few users on here (Im looking at you Darken) made it abundantly clear that once we begin to replace the older stubborn generation we have no excuse not to effect some serious change to stuff that frankly doesnt make any sense at all.

I couldnt agree more with the last paragraph. I think all that needs to be asked is a general sexual history with no regard to gender. Those that are deemed risky independent of sexuality can be pushed for further screening to double check the blood is good. Further testing methods should be researched for greater accuracy. Its lazy science to just dismiss the gay community to minimize mistakes, if it even works at all which frankly i doubt.

 

[J9ACK9]

I used to idolise the medical community. I thought they could do no wrong. Further reading, a little more maturity and a few users on here (Im looking at you Darken) made it abundantly clear that once we begin to replace the older stubborn generation we have no excuse not to effect some serious change to stuff that frankly doesnt make any sense at all.

I have no doubt whatsoever that the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s was terrifying: and I really can't blame organizations like the Red Cross for reacting the way that they did by initially (emphasis on INITIALLY, not FOREVER) banning homosexuals from donating blood. But that was thirty years ago... I'm 100% behind you when it comes to changing outdated polices. Good for you for wanting to make a difference.

You feel a bit foolish for idolizing the Medical community? Shit, man... I used to want to be a cop when I grew up: at least doctors don't pepper spray nonviolent protestors.

 

[dfphetteplace]

I donate as much as possible. I'm a medic, so I know first hand how important blood donation is.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

I've tried in the past solely to find out my blood type (it isn't listed on my birth certificate and I have to pay to find out from the NHS which I refuse to do - think I should contact the NSA? They might know) but I was turned away because I apparently have non-compatible veins, even though I have done a 4-day clinical study where I gave blood several dozen times.

Taking blood samples like they do for studies is a whole different animal than taking a pint for transfusion.
I once took 16 samples from a tiny young woman who had reached 3rd stage evaluation for marrow donation, and I
*shudder* at the thought of trying to get the much larger needle used for a pint donation in to any of her veins.

All I know is I still don't know my blood type and it is vexing.

 

[Queen Michael]

I'm a donor already. So I'll do it again in a couple of weeks.

 

[DANEgerous]

I have done it many many times but, yeah I cant because I dated a guy and yeah backwards arseholes, I automatically have AIDS despite... you know not having AIDS.

 

[Little Woodsman]

I do generally, but I'm living in Asia now and when I return to the States, I believe I'll have to wait for three years before I can donate again (correct me if I'm wrong, please).

Depends on what part of Asia you are in. What blood centers are primarily looking for when they question travel/residence in other areas is malaria. If the area you are in has no risk of malaria, you will most likely be able to give. There are
other factors of course, but that is the big one.

Living in South Korea, in the very, VERY southern part of the country, which is technically considered a malaria zone. However, I have traveled to other countries which are, shall we say, malaria rampant.

Yeah, that alone will keep you from donating...sounds like you've stayed there
more than 2 weeks as well, which means that you probably won't be able to give
until you've been back for three years. Bummer.
I seem to recall some other problem with Korea, but it's something that came up
after my stint at the center, so I'm not really sure.

 

[Little Woodsman]

I've tried in the past solely to find out my blood type (it isn't listed on my birth certificate and I have to pay to find out from the NHS which I refuse to do - think I should contact the NSA? They might know) but I was turned away because I apparently have non-compatible veins, even though I have done a 4-day clinical study where I gave blood several dozen times.

Taking blood samples like they do for studies is a whole different animal than taking a pint for transfusion.
I once took 16 samples from a tiny young woman who had reached 3rd stage evaluation for marrow donation, and I
*shudder* at the thought of trying to get the much larger needle used for a pint donation in to any of her veins.

All I know is I still don't know my blood type and it is vexing.

Yeah, that would definitely be pretty vexing...can you contact the office of your family physician from when you were a child? They might know & should be able to release the information to you.