Poll: Giving blood

[cobra_ky]

no, i've never given blood, and i refuse to give blood to the Red Cross or any other organization that engages in discrimination. Here's part of the Red Cross's eligibility guidelines for donating blood:

http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html#hiv

the tl;dr version is if you are a man who engaged in homosexual contact at any point in the last 30 years, you are at risk for AIDS and cannot give blood. Also note that apparently accepting payment for sex somehow increases your risk for HIV/AIDS while promiscuity somehow does not.

never mind the fact that all donated blood is screened for HIV anyway, let's further stigmatize the gay community for the sake of medical paranoia.

 

[Bored Tomatoe]

Why aren't gay people allowed to give blood? Thats ridiculous.

 

[cobra_ky]

Why aren't gay people allowed to give blood? Thats ridiculous.

AIDS was originally known as Gay-Related Immune Deficiency or GRID, as it was initially discovered in the gay community, where it spread quickly due to a culturally isolated population as well as higher transmission rates from anal sex. There's still a depressing amount of people who believe AIDS is a "gay disease", and unfortunately the Red Cross reinforces this notion by basing the guideline on whether you are a gay man instead of whether you have engaged in a particularly risky sex act.

 

[reaper_2k9]

I have not because i was told that after you get a tattoo you have to wait 2 years to be able to give blood and I have 2 so I never have

 

[Isaac Dodgson]

i gave blood with a buddy of mine when i was in high school...pretty funny story actually.

I did it at school the Red Cross came and all, but they were so unorganized/unprepared for the total onslaught of high schoolers looking for a legitimate reason to miss a class or two, that it took FOREVER. I went around ten in the morning, and I ended up missing the bus. Both my parents and his were at work, and so he had the wise idea to walk home, and i had the perhaps wiser idea to follow.

He lives five miles from the school... normally not an issue, but becomes quite a big one when you've just given blood. We made it, but passed out at his place...

 

[Dhael]

Why aren't gay people allowed to give blood? Thats ridiculous.

AIDS was originally known as Gay-Related Immune Deficiency or GRID, as it was initially discovered in the gay community, where it spread quickly due to a culturally isolated population as well as higher transmission rates from anal sex. There's still a depressing amount of people who believe AIDS is a "gay disease", and unfortunately the Red Cross reinforces this notion by basing the guideline on whether you are a gay man instead of whether you have engaged in a particularly risky sex act.

The reason the Red Cross asks this is because the strain of AIDS that most affects North America and Europe,unlike the much more virulent Asian and African strains, is VERY blood restricted, so anal sex is a very big risk factor for it. Contrary to popular opinion, it's actually literally easier to win the lotto than to catch the NA strain, unless you engage some seriously risky behavior. Unfortunately anal is one of those due to friction sores.

And to the guy who complained that paying money for sex was a factor: one word, Prostitute. need I say more.

 

[cobra_ky]

And to the guy who complained that paying money for sex was a factor: one word, Prostitute. need I say more.

<--Same guy.

prostitution is a problem because it involves promiscuous sex with several anonymous partners. But the Red cross guideline states:

"have EVER taken money, drugs or other payment for sex since 1977" (emphasis mine)

which implies that having sex for money ONCE is more of a risk factor than a lifetime of promiscuity. Promiscuity and anal sex are both tremendous risk factors and that's fine, but the Red Cross guidelines are written to exclude specific groups who tend to engage in them instead of the practice as a whole.

If the Red Cross said "if you engage in anal sex, or have sex with multiple anonymous partners, you are at increased risk for HIV and should not give blood", i wouldn't have a problem with that. But the guidelines specifically exclude gay men and prostitutes while making no mention of other groups who engage in the same dangerous activities.

 

[bad rider]

Thought I would resurect this as i'm giving blood again next monday.

 

[Kodlak]

I've had a transfusion so I'm not allowed to.

 

[MartinPeiM16]

i hateeee needlessssss, sorry

 

[Maze1125]

It's universal; men who have engaged in sexual activity with another man since 1980 (or something like that) cannot give blood because of their high risk of having HIV. It sounds like a pretty awful, discriminatory rule, but honestly, it's based on solid science. A defense for the rule written by the English NHC explained that getting rid of this rule would increase the risk of introducing HIV+ blood into the system by 160%.

And what's the NHC statistical justification for the fact a man that had sex once with another man, when they were both virgins, 30 years ago, can't give blood, but a woman who goes to random sex parties can, just so long as the most recent time was longer than 12 months ago?

 

[LilGherkin]

I had skipped out on my 2nd block class to film the blood drive which was better than being in his class. He was pissed off at me so I promised that when the blood drive came back that I would "Donate so much blood I would pass out in the lobby they would have to give me some of my blood back." So when I turned 16 and the blood drive came back I did it, and he was there to watch.

 

[Beffudled Sheep]

Im not allowed to give blood for various personal reasons.

 

[Helmet]

I donate several times a year. It doesn't hurt me, and it may help someone who needs it.

Every time I donate I go with my buddy and we race to see who can fill the thing with blood. He's beaten me every time. The fucker...

Last time he beat me by 7 seconds. 7 fucking seconds.

 

[Owned by 3 year olds]

I will when I can.Helping people anyway I can makes me feel better after a destructive round of Counter Strike.

 

[Clashero]

I'm not allowed to give blood because I'm Gay.

I would like to though, so it's very aggravating.

EDIT: I ticked the "can't" option, and I slightly regret it now. It's not that I can't, it's that I'm not allowed.

I'm going to change can't to not allowed.

Oh Thank you! It was more of a grumble at old institutions than at the actual poll though.

The whole situation is ridiculous, as I am O negative, a rare and useful blood type and they won't take mine because I am apparently part of a risk group.

That's ridiculous. How bigoted can they be? Just because you're a homosexual they think that you're are surely sick with some sort of STD (even when they check every blood sample)? Preposterous. I hope they change that soon.

 

[CrafterMan]

I'm not allowed to give blood because I'm Gay.

I would like to though, so it's very aggravating.

EDIT: I ticked the "can't" option, and I slightly regret it now. It's not that I can't, it's that I'm not allowed.

You HAVE to be kidding me?

 

[Brett Alex]

Thanks for adding "Not allowed" to the poll.

I gave twice before I recieved a letter telling me not to donate again for minimum of two years and that neither donation had been used. All because I tested postive to some condition I don't have.

 

[Raven's Nest]

I'm one of those selfish people who think sharing blood is wrong. I'm not fishing for an arguement or anything, it's just my opinion. The thought of deliberately losing blood is illogical to me. The saviour in me would like to give blood as it's totally a worthy cause so I respect people who do. The idea of having someone else's blood flowing through my veins just freaks me out too.

 

[peachy_keen]

I would, but the last time I had a blood sample taken by the doctor (it was a HUGE blood sample), I fainted halfway out the door.