Gay Blood Donors

[jomifl]

In France donation of blood by homosexuals is banned presumably because of the assumed risk of HIV transmission. I received an online petition today by a 'gay care worker' who wants the law/practice change because it is discriminatory to gays. Not knowing what the risks are and whether there is such a shortage of blood that the possible risks might be justifiable I have no way of deciding whether to sign or not. How much risk to a persons life is equivalent to feeling discriminated against? or is it not an issue at all?

[ummmm]

Interesting question.

Giving blood goes by stats. If homosexual men are more likely to have HIV then what should they do? Risk it?

[Quizmonkey]

UK too - only places in world, I believe. It is TOTALLY discriminatory. Colin is right in his argument - Ummm is wrong with his simplistic reasoning! Also ALL blood is tested and screened anyway so it's irrelevant.

[slaney]

This was discussed here last year.
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Body-and-Soul/Question1249010.html
As you can see from the list here, the situation varies in different European countries, with France for example having indefinite referral and the UK one year deferral, and Italy having no deferral.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_who_have_sex_with_men_blood_donor_controversy

[slaney]

QM - all bolod is tested and screened - true, but as I said last year
earlier deferral exists because of the higher incidence of HIV in that population and because of the window period, where one is infected, but it doesn't show up in the blood test thereby giving a false negative - it's all to do with medical risk, and nothing to do with morality or homophobia.

[slaney]

Ha *blood*

[Baldric]

When I was in Hospital 4 years ago I had 17 Units while I was there, I'm due in for an Op. in the next 4 weeks, all I say is that I would like as many precautions taken as possible, thank you!

[ummmm]

Quiz....I'm female....and I'm NOT wrong.

[grasscarp]

...... EVER

[ummmm]

I give blood. They do an iron test, Send you to drink a pint of squash then take your blood.

[ummmm]

Glad you agree, Grasscarp :-)

[Old_Geezer]

Yeah but do you want to risk passing that gay gene over ?
;-)

[sandyRoe]

NI does ban gay donors. But when the supplies are running low they're supplemented with stocks from the rest of the UK where donations from gay people are acceptable.
The ban here is more to do with fundamental Protestant bigotry than any scientific basis.
If there's any scientific basis for the ban in France you'd think the same would apply in the UK. Could the French be bigots, too?

[jomifl]

Perhaps the simple answer is to by all means accept blood donations from gay men .... but only give it to gay men :o)
Slaney, kind of reading between your lines, it seems that although blood is tested for HIV whether from a gay donor or not then if there is a latent period when it is undetectable then if gays have a higher risk of HIV it follows that blood from them carries a greater risk?

[jomifl]

C&J, could it be that 1 in 4 people are over 60?

[askyourgran]

Colin and [email protected]. I think that is a pretty crass statement I wouldnt have thought that over 60's/OAP's would be much troubled, on the whole we are not really the wild sexually uninhibited sector of society. Far less in that age group give blood. One can give blood between the ages of 16 and 65 after meeting certain criteria. All blood and their donors are checked and tested.