Gay people banned from giving blood - homophobic? <again>

[Fridayfeeling]

No this is not the 1980s, apparently it is still the case that gay men are banned from donating blood.

The NHS National Blood Service say that its reasons for banning gay people from becoming blood donors come down to cost,their opinion is that blood from a gay person is more likely to be infected than blood from a straight person. Therefore, they say, the costs of screening gay blood are too high.

Yep and they also ban older people, breastfeeding mothers, all sorts of folk who could technically be donors. Also people who have had blood disorders in the past or received donated organs. I'm banned because I ONCE had a blood disorder - 20 years ago. For a month.

It's totally barking given the blood shortage in this country, esp. as they do screening tests when you sign up, so if you kept quiet, they'd never know.

But I agree it seems totally nutso.

BTW I know lots of gay men who donate blood. In fact I also know gay sperm donors. Where there is a will there should be a way imho.

Its disgusting frankly.

Its a stereotype and an awful one at that.

I thought ALL blood was screened for HIV anyways so what does it matter ?

it's not just gays, I can't give blood as I've slept with a man who has been sexually active in a "high risk country", plus I've also slept with other men in the same country.

The restrictions really annoy me. My DH is a haemophiliac (and is okay BTW) but because of that I can't give blood. It irritates me because until recently, I felt he had so much need for donated blood that I ought to do my bit to contribute - not allowed. Grrr.

only gay men are prohibited. A recent jeremy vine show let on that several men lie about it and donate anyway.

Yes, it's not "gays", but gay men...

my hemophiliac cousin died from HIV in 1991 after being infected pre testing time...

The rules are all there for a reason though and they do regularly change things and tweak things in order to be more able to assess individual cases and have as many donors as posible. There are lots of questions that you have to answer before giving. Sadly, screening tests are not 100% accurate and although they screen your blood each time, not just when you sign up, it will not always show if you have an infection of any kind and so they do have to screen out those considered more high risk medically before they get to that stage, be it an STI risk or a CJD risk or anything else you care to name.

(they don't ban bf mothers whomoved do they? I was told you can start again 9 months after giving birth)

on a purely practical level, how would they know? Is it enforcable?

oh, just seen piffles post

All blood is screened and they will take it and then not use it till the screening turns up as clear apparently. But I do remember someone telling me that it was an excellent way to get a HIV test because you didn't have to see a counsellor to give blood and only got contacted if the test came back positive.

Oh and FAQ they'd say it serves you right for Faqing about (only kidding it is a loony rule).

so how am I high risk - when I've only slept with the one man in the last 9yrs, and have 3 children (all born in this country) - with each of whom I had the HIV testing done with my bloods each time.......and was clear.

Surely if H had picked up a STD when he was sexually active before me, and likewise me all those years ago in the "high risk" country it would be pretty obvious by now???

They just ask if you are male and have had anal sex (protected or unprotected).

Self - disclosure !

If I was a gay an and was tod tat I couldnt give blood then I wouldnt go to the bother of lying - if they cant accept a lifestyle choice then they could get stuffed. Tis a shame thouht because it isnt the people that make these "rules" that suffer - its the people in dire need of a blood transfusion.

I do give blood btw.

I do agree with that rule being pretty daft FAQ, as if it were taken to the letter I, a blood donor, could go with dp, a blood donor, and have sex with each other in a high risk country and get banned from donating. Odd.

I would like to see the adverts saying

"Do something amazing today...........except of course if you are gay, because your blood is NOT good enough"

FAQ - precisely. I know my blood is okay and it's a rare type too so I'd like to donate. It can take up to seven years for HIV to show up in blood though in rare cases (seroconversion doesn't always take place with first exposure, often it's a cumulative effect). So that's why they are iffy about time periods.

I think the "rule" says if you've been sexually active with someone else who has been sexually active in that country - so I guess your DP would be ok unless he was sleeping around while you were out there.

Also - I come under the "lived outside of the UK for 6 months or more" rule.......

FAQ - I once had to be "counselled" when giving blood as I had recently visited Nigeria. Very softly spoekn caring individual questioned me about my sexual practices during my visit...

I was only there 24 hrs for a business meetings so unless I managed to score with the taxi driver, random unprotected sex seems unlikley"

Oh the lived outside the uk for more than 6 months rule is a case by case basis, they want to know where and how long for but most places are fine. I lived in Russia for more than 6 months and it is fine.

That is what you have to remember, and why you have to be honest with the questions as not all of them being answered "wrongly" mean that you can't give blood, they just need to know. Afterall you'd be pretty pissed off if someone lied about their habits and you ended up with the infected blood. And remember that many, many women will have had blood products. Pretty much all rh neg women with kids in fact as the anti-d is made from blood products. Not just the obvious transfusions.

ahh - but I lived for 2 1/2yrs in a "high risk" (1 in 4 of the population are thought to be HIV+) country......

personally I'd be inclined to think it was fair enough then, annoying perhaps but fair enough. You may not have done anything to put yourself at risk but, as we have seen on this thread, people do think it is ok to lie in order to give so they can't know for certain if you are lying or not. So unless anyone knows a 100% accurate. never fail screening test for every infection known to man, we have to keep those rules to keep the recipients safe.

I had trouble giving blood this time as I was on the 'banned for medical reasons' list when I attended.

The previous time I went to give blood (4+ yrs ago) I admitted I was trying for DC#2 and was told not to give blood - luckily I didn't as 1 week later I got the blue line!

So I went at Xmas, having not been called since Ds was born, had a devil of a job getting them to agree to let me give blood as it did not specify what my reason for the medical ban was.