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    National Gay blood drive day

    So I guess I hadn't known this was still a thing. Apparently if you are a gay male (not a gay female) you are banned for life from giving blood. But don't make the Red Cross the bad guys here. Apparently they want to ratify that law made by the FDA. They want to ammend it to include
    sauce

    So how do you feel about homosexual males being denied the ability to donate blood? I understand there are other criteria for exclusion, such as health etc. But do you think there is any merit to assume all male homosexuals have a higher propensity for hiv/aids then let's say..the rest of the sexually active population?



    Please note that having an opinion that is not favorable to the gays will not have you burned at the stake. And I would like the participants to understand that different opinions on this subject does not make one a homophobe. Just putting that out before people get upity.
    Satan is my spirit animal

    #2
    Re: National Gay blood drive day

    I'm not a huge fan of needles, and I think I've given enough of my lifeblood, overall. Can I just say I'm gay and be 'banned for life'? Please?

    Also I've noticed the policy is kind of... oh... vague.

    What exactly does sexual contact with another male mean, in their definition? Gay male that has regular sex partners? Or up to and including poor Timmy who got buggered as an altar boy 20 years ago by Father Hotnuts?

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      #3
      Re: National Gay blood drive day

      Originally posted by Thothur View Post
      I'm not a huge fan of needles, and I think I've given enough of my lifeblood, overall. Can I just say I'm gay and be 'banned for life'? Please?
      You could just tell them you may have Mad Cow Disease. That's why I can't donate blood and I'm neither a male or gay.

      Me personally, If I was in a situation where I needed someone else's blood to survive (transfusion), I wouldn't give a flying fart in space if the person that donated the blood was gay, male, female, young, old, purple, checkered, had a tail... Gimme. Don't they test the donated blood to make sure it's clean?!
      �Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.�
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        #4
        Re: National Gay blood drive day

        I've always wanted to donate blood. I give it every three months anyways. I can't because of the heart meds (I'd have to stop for a week before) the Diabetes, I have to get a doc's report I'm controlling it, my high blood pressure. Bleh. I feel like a gay man.
        Satan is my spirit animal

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          #5
          Re: National Gay blood drive day

          Originally posted by Juniper View Post
          Don't they test the donated blood to make sure it's clean?!
          It's likely a cost saving measure. I'm sure we'd all like to think they test every pint of blood they get. But it's likely that doesn't happen. At least it DIDN'T happen in the past. Otherwise, you'd not have folks coming down with HIV 20 years later that they got from a blood transfusion they had back in the 80's.

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            #6
            Re: National Gay blood drive day

            It sounds like they're trying to do the right thing and evaluate based on lifestyle instead of sexual preference, so I guess the ball is in the FDA's court.

            The flip side is that if the reality is that gay men are statistically more likely to have HIV, and that screening them out entirely is in the best interest of allowing them to do their job (ie get the most blood to the most people for the least cost), then I don't really see that as bigotry, just statistics.

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              #7
              Re: National Gay blood drive day

              Originally posted by Juniper View Post
              You could just tell them you may have Mad Cow Disease. That's why I can't donate blood and I'm neither a male or gay.

              Me personally, If I was in a situation where I needed someone else's blood to survive (transfusion), I wouldn't give a flying fart in space if the person that donated the blood was gay, male, female, young, old, purple, checkered, had a tail... Gimme. Don't they test the donated blood to make sure it's clean?!
              Bolded mine. That's the reason why nearly every service member who served in Europe between 1979 - 2000 can not give blood, as we were exposed to Mad Cow through the meats purchased on the local economy and sold or served on the various bases. I served there twice during that period so can not give blood or donate organs that may have been exposed to mad cow or other blood born diseases.

              As regard to the initial question I'd rather err on the side of caution and safety than infect a single person because they didn't. But I would add needle injecting drug users to the list as well as I've seen where dirty needles have caused a number of illnesses besides HIV. Things which also prevent the person from ever donating blood or organs because of it.
              I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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                #8
                Re: National Gay blood drive day

                I personally think it is ridiculous. If they are worried about them carrying something like HIV or whatever, just get them to prove they are tested and clean first?
                There is something pagan in me that I cannot shake off. In short, I deny nothing, but doubt everything. - Lord Byron

                Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher. -
                William Wordsworth

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                  #9
                  Re: National Gay blood drive day

                  I've tried giving blood. They always say they need more. But when it's actually convenient for me, they are over flowing. Not helpful.

                  Also in reply to OP, I think there is a bit of unfair stereotyping, but I also see the other side of the story. Overall it's unfortunate.
                  ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

                  RIP

                  I have never been across the way
                  Seen the desert and the birds
                  You cut your hair short
                  Like a shush to an insult
                  The world had been yelling
                  Since the day you were born
                  Revolting with anger
                  While it smiled like it was cute
                  That everything was shit.

                  - J. Wylder

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                    #10
                    Re: National Gay blood drive day

                    Its erring on the side of caution. I see nothing wrong with it. Although the pro gay people are trying to make it a hot button issue...it really is a non issue. There are plenty of other things that keep people from giving blood....not just having "teh gay."

                    I've never given blood, ever. Don't want to. Don't like needles. Although, I needed to know my blood type and if I gave blood, they would type it for free. So, I found a bloodmobile and volunteered to have my blood drawn....and they wouldn't do it. During the interview process, I was asked about my sex practices, any drug use involving needles, being out of the country where certain diseases/viruses were rampant, and several other things. What stopped me was having thyroid surgery within the previous 12 months. Even though I had multiple blood test through my doctor saying I was clean...they still wouldn't chance it.

                    Nice ladies still typed my blood for me and gave me a free T shirt though.....bless their hearts.

                    Anyway.....I see this as something that the more rabid pro gays can complain about, but not a real issue.

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                      #11
                      Re: National Gay blood drive day

                      Considering they test all blood for HIV and other communicable diseases, and that there are other populations out there now that have higher HIV rates...I think its pretty much a biased and unnecessary holdover from the 90's.
                      Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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                        #12
                        Re: National Gay blood drive day

                        Originally posted by Juniper View Post
                        Don't they test the donated blood to make sure it's clean?!
                        They have to test the blood to make sure it is clean, they absolutely must, it is the law. A few too many lawsuits back in the early 80's and some odd attempts at wierd murder charges are responsible for this law. That and children getting aids from blood transfusions. If you get blood from a donor you can be sure it has been tested... extensively, after the insane screening the donors go through before they even get to try to give blood.
                        http://catcrowsnow.blogspot.com/

                        But they were doughnuts of darkness. Evil damned doughnuts, tainted by the spawn of darkness.... Which could obviously only be redeemed by passing through the fiery inferno of my digestive tract.
                        ~Jim Butcher

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                          #13
                          Re: National Gay blood drive day

                          Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                          Considering they test all blood for HIV and other communicable diseases, and that there are other populations out there now that have higher HIV rates...I think its pretty much a biased and unnecessary holdover from the 90's.
                          I can't speak for American practice but in Denmark they do test the blood, in fact they use a double test, but still 2-3 years ago there was a person who contracted HIV through blood transfusion since no test is 100% and even using two of them can't give a 100% guarantee.

                          That aside, I will say that I have no problem with this, if it is based on actual evidence such as the number of cases of STDs being much higher in the gay population than in the populace in general. But if all this is based on is hearsay and prejudice then yes, I have a problem with it.
                          Warning: The above post may contain traces of sarcasm.

                          An apostrophe is the difference between a business that knows its shit, and a business that knows it's shit.

                          "Why is every object we don't understand always called a thing?" (McCoy. Star Trek: The Moive Picture)

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                            #14
                            Re: National Gay blood drive day

                            Originally posted by MoonRaven View Post
                            That aside, I will say that I have no problem with this, if it is based on actual evidence such as the number of cases of STDs being much higher in the gay population than in the populace in general. But if all this is based on is hearsay and prejudice then yes, I have a problem with it.
                            There is a higher incedence of HIV infection in gay populations (my previous comment should have stated that there are other populations with dispoprotionately high levels of HIV), but there are a number of other populations where there is a proportionally high incedence of HIV...and many of those populations are not barred from donating blood.
                            Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                            sigpic

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                              #15
                              Re: National Gay blood drive day

                              Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                              There is a higher incedence of HIV infection in gay populations (my previous comment should have stated that there are other populations with dispoprotionately high levels of HIV), but there are a number of other populations where there is a proportionally high incedence of HIV...and many of those populations are not barred from donating blood.
                              In that case I do have a problem because the whole thing seemed to be based on prejudice, rather than banning high risk groups from donating which would, at least to me, be understandable.
                              Warning: The above post may contain traces of sarcasm.

                              An apostrophe is the difference between a business that knows its shit, and a business that knows it's shit.

                              "Why is every object we don't understand always called a thing?" (McCoy. Star Trek: The Moive Picture)

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