Plasma Donations // unprotected sex with gay men

AlteredEgo

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In Ontario, Canada:
I was talking to gay friend of mine about when he went to donate plasma and was turned down being told that "any person who has ever had unprotected sex with a gay male, is not ever allowed to donate".

So my questions lies in the that statement. I understand the stages of HIV development, or at least I think I do, and that makes sense to me. But what if someone has consistently tested negative for HIV over a year period? or a two year period? Why are those people never allowed to donate?

Scenario:
I had unprotected sex with my gay best friend, after he had sex with his tested boyfriend. Now, I haven't been tested (I know shame on me, I'm going Tuesday), but if I test negative over a period of whatever time, do I have to say I had sex with a gay male? Or should I just not worry about donating, and give up the idea? I have O+ blood, but we only host blood donations here every little while, and I'm wondering if they have the same rules.

Can someone please explain this to me, I tried to do a search, but didn't get anything all that helpful to me.

This is one of the rare cases where I say lie. Lie. They need the blood products desperately to save lives. Don't let hysterical prejudices stand in the way of helping people. Get tested. Abstain from sex and needle drugs and get tested once every three months (HIV ain't the only thing out there) for six months. Then go donate. Donate 'til your heart's content.
 

davidjh7

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In one way I agree with your motivations. But on another, I have to disagree. Lying about the potential danger of your blood products increases the danger of the blood supply, because screening is imperfect. I understand this motivation of the regulations; however, ALL people who have sex, or use IV products, or engage in other activities that possibly CAN infect the blood supply, are just as MUCH of a risk as a gay man. My feeling is that gay men should be allowed to donate, because the need IS there, but if they want to single out "gay" blood, fine---predudice is stupid, but it is hard to change. Set it aside, and screen it more carefully. Irradiate it, to kill off any viruses--this is done commonly, by the way---blood and blood products are commonly irradiated to kill the nasties, without hurting the blood. If people want to deny you the ability to help, fine--screw them---they don;t deserve your blood.
 

Lex

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They are supposed to SCREEN all the blood that they are given. If they are properly screening it, it should not be tainted. But we know the Red Cross just got fined millions for NOT screening its blood supply.
 

Lex

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Here is the link I posted a while back:

Red Cross Fined

CNN said:
The government said Friday it was fining the American Red Cross $4.2 million for violating blood-safety laws.

The violations include failing to ask appropriate questions of potential donors and not following test procedures, said the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA said it had no evidence of serious health consequences resulting from the violations.

The fine was the largest single penalty assessed so far under terms of a 2003 court settlement that allows the large fines when the Red Cross violates FDA rules. Previously, the FDA had fined the Red Cross a total of $5.7 million.

A message left for American Red Cross spokesman Ryland Dodge was not immediately returned.

The Red Cross provides nearly half the nation's blood supply, selling blood products to health facilities.
 

BigPoppaFury

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I work with blood products made from plasma donations from a number of centres in the US. Our company buys each donation for around the $200 mark, that's true. Each donation is tested for a wide variety of different infections, but added to that we have to withdraw plenty of units because of answers given by donors. Some of the reasons were pretty baffling- "was stationed in Germany for two months in 1982" being one amongst many (perhaps something to do with CJD?).

Many were withdrawn because the donor had been in jail and just as many because the donor had been involved in homosexual activity. It always seemed such a waste, especially when the plasma would undergo a vast array of viral de-activation and filtration stages on it's way to becoming product and despite the fact that testing would reveal whether they were safe to use. Testing was carried out in the US, so I have no idea how much a test costs and perhaps the questions were originally designed to keep waste down as far as testing was concerned. These seem to be pretty outdated criteria according to modern understanding and should really come in for some reviewing. That said I'm suprised it hasn't happened already because the profit they stand to make could surely be increased. So perhaps it's the general public's attitude towards receiving blood from gay people. Ignorance breeds fear and lets face it most people are just that- scared and ignorant. Maybe until that attitude changes you'll still find blood companies unwilling to rock the boat.
 

Gillette

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nipped from the website


"High Risk Activities
Regulatory standards are extremely stringent regarding defined high-risk activities for HIV and other transmissible diseases. Men, who have had sex with other men, are at an increased risk for HIV/AIDS. In Canada, approximately 75 percent of reported AIDS cases, since the beginning of the epidemic, have been traced to transmission from one male to another male during a variety of forms of sexual contact.
Studies of the presence of antibodies to the virus confirm that infection with HIV is also more frequently found among men who have had sex with other men. To protect the recipients of donated blood, a man who has had sex with another man even once since 1977 is not allowed to donate blood in Canada or the United States.
Heterosexuals at risk of transmissible diseases are also deferred from giving blood. Heterosexuals who have participated in activities that put them at an increased risk for transmissible diseases, or who have had sexual contact with an individual whose background is uncertain, are also not acceptable as blood donors."



As one can never be 100% certain of their partners history (or that of their partner's previous partners, doesn't this disqualify every non virgin?
 

AlteredEgo

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If people want to deny you the ability to help, fine--screw them---they don;t deserve your blood.


Well the thing is, it's not these organizations you hurt. It's every day people who maybe do not hold those prejudices. My grandma's medications sometimes make her bleed internally. She'd gladly accept the blood of a gay person, or a recently pierced person as long as the blood is safe. She'd rather you kept up with your own regular STD screenings, and lied on the blood bank's questionaire. The blood bank is supposed to be screening the blood it receives. These questions are ridiculous. But if people don't want to "help the blood banks" it's not these organizations who lose out, but rather people like my grandma.
 

Big Dreamer

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Part of the problem is the same reason why off-duty nurses and doctors sometimes avoid helping people in need. There are flocks of lawyers/vultures hovering around these issues and scaring decent people and organizations from being able to provide effective and compassionate assistance to those in need. One tainted blood specimen in a million and you have law firms urging anyone that ever received untainted blood during the same time period to sue for damages from the stress that the single tainted specimen caused.

They've got to make it easier for citizens to help those in need.
 

B_Think_Kink

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It is over plasma, not blood, but I get the same idea. In other words... I also got a new piercing... so I guess I just wont donate... doesn't hurt me any.