Despite pressure, ban on gay blood donors endures

[Danno 1,228]

...how do they know the sexual orientation of the donor?

Can celibate gay men donate?

Can lesbians?

This is weird -- I never knew such a ban exists.

From your questions you seem to come at this from the angle of- The Donors rights are paramount to the health and safety of the Blood supply.

And that makes perfect sense in our fad of re-inventing of what "rights" are in this country.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

From your questions you seem to come at this from the angle of- The Donors rights are paramount to the health and safety of the Blood supply.

And that makes perfect sense in our fad of re-inventing of what "rights" are in this country.

and you also can not donate if you have had a tatto or piercing in the last 12 months or have traveled to some foreign countries.

The hate of that fills my nostrils

[duraaraa 203]

From your questions you seem to come at this from the angle of- The Donors rights are paramount to the health and safety of the Blood supply.

And that makes perfect sense in our fad of re-inventing of what "rights" are in this country.

Not at all -- if a guy has AIDS, he shouldn't donate blood.

However, if they ban someone based on a prejudice, it's also kind of stupid -- why not let people get a blood test to prove their blood's worthiness if they really want to donate that much?

[GandD 5,966]

I don't want no h0m0 blood!! Gross!

(I can't say h0m0?)

ETA - For the sensitive folks out there, I'm making fun of the conservative types, so relax.

Edited September 17, 2013 by GandD

[JohnR! 5,495]

A.ID.S is not the only STD that the carrier is not accepted for donation.

- Correct.

Can anyone name another demographic in which a known communicable virus is present name it please.

- Anyone with the common flu or any other infection.

As we know Gay men are a small population around 3%.. yet the vast majority of AIDS cases in the US rest in this small club.

- If you want to reduce or eliminate the potential for tainted blood, the ban should apply to any breathing human who is sexually active.

It's because testing is not an absolute defense that logic dictates I.V. drug users, Homosexual men and a few other groups need to sit this one out.

- Only if by 'few other groups' you mean homosexual women, heterosexual men and heterosexual women.

In the end, 1 out of 4 is already an improvement!

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Well you know, it's those Hate-facts marvin.

Actually it's the folks that only want to hate those facts, if you want to be honest about it.

[Danno 1,228]

Actually it's the folks that only want to hate those facts, if you want to be honest about it.

2+2=4

What's to hate?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

2+2=4

I bet you used a calculator for this.

[Danno 1,228]

Yep, how did you know?

I tried to do it without the calculator but the hate just got in the way.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Yep, how did you know?

Educated guess.

[Danno 1,228]

Anyway bottom line, we have lost enough innocent people due to gays donating blood, as they are a high risk groups for so many things, it makes sense to avoid them sex workers and a few other segments of society, until medicals professionals can guarantee that the blood will have no chance of contamination .... now or in the future.

If they can not guarantee safety, it is best to continue on with the current rules.

PS: Why don't other groups cry about being excluded...... oh thats right, they are not out to score political points at the risk of others health.

[Karee 4,190]

I bet you used a calculator for this.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Anyway bottom line, we have lost enough innocent people due to gays donating blood,...

How many innocent people have we lost due to gays donating blood?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

How many innocent people have we lost due to gays donating blood?

Well many thousands actually

I lost a classmate from college who contracted HIV from Aids tainted blood

He was a hemophiliac

Conversely I fully support equal rights for all gays. Just don't understand why this is such a huge issue

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Well many thousands actually

Is that documented somehwhere?