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.

My husband tries to give blood regularly but every time he gets a hard time because he answers 'Yes' to the questions about being in Africa and a possible malaria belt. (we go to South Africa and stay with our relatives away from the lurgy)

We have lived in the UK for the past 12 years and the grilling he goes through every time makes him almost want to quit giving blood...

Somehow, with the prevalence and danger of Hep B, somehow I wouldn't just be asking about whether or not he has been to the game parks...

It is (or should be) just a cost/risk assessment though, isn't it? It is more cost effective for them to not accept blood from gay men than to increase their screening processes, I assume.
OTOH I thought there was a major shortage of (certain types of) blood, in which case you'd imagine the risk/costa assessment would shift so it is viable?

By certain types of blood I don't mean gay blood BTW

but no screening is 100%. And the consequences of receiving blood that is from someone who could have HIV/hepb/cjd are devostating.

In some countries in Africa it's actually quite common to donate your own blood if you're going to be having surgery, that way you can ensure that it's safe. Think I would opt to do the same in this country tbh, and would probably opt to donate blood for my ds too rather than him receive blood from an anonomous doner.

My assistant at the company I worked for before I had ds was a blood doner. She gave religiously every three months and had done for years and years and years.
18 months ago she died.
Of CJD. . I wonder how many people received blood that she had donated? Blood that could not be screened for cjd. .

Califrau - me too! Can't beleive I lived to tell the tale... I was at UWIST 83-86

My aunt contracted Hep C from a blood transfusion after a car accident in the 1970s.

She's still, however, grateful someone donated it, it saved her life at the time.

I cannot donate in teh UK because I had Hep A almost 20 years ago.

It is a risk analysis.

the tests that they carry out on the blood look for antibodies to HIV , not the HIV itself.

There is a lag time between getting infected and showing positive. Anyone having sex with a high risk group, or taking part in non sexual high risk activity (no sterile injections etc) is banned

Not only gay men are banned. Straight people who have sex in high risk countries (mostly in sub Saharan Africa) are also banned. NB the colour of the person you had sex with is immaterial

I don't see the problem. It's not a value judgement, it's a safety issue. They're not 'discriminating' against those who have been involved in risky behaviours because they think it's immoral etc. they're just trying to keep the meagre blood supplies as safe as possible.

I'm sorry, but I really think you have to have the most enormous chip on your shoulder to see a problem with that.

(and as it happens, I can't give blood myself)

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so how is having sex with my husband "risky" behaviour (or my H with me)????

H has some odd blood group (can't remember what is though) but will never be allowed to donate any of it...

Does he have regular blood transfusions FAQ? Or does he fall into any of the other catagories?

and if I can be nosy, which blood group (feel free to ignore latter if it is invasive)

Cali - I used to buy burgers outside Cardiff Student's Union in the early 90s as well

I think it's all crazy to be honest! All blood is screened so they should just take what they can get......... I feel it may have something to do with people using it as a free 'testing' service as opposed to their sexual predilections.

no - he's never had a blood transfusion - but he falls into the "sex in high risk country" (well actually he's from a high risk country) category.........you can be nosy as you like but I can't remember what the group is - I remember he had a blood test when we first came (back for me) to the UK 8yrs ago and the doctor said it was some odd group - but I can't for the life of me remember what it was as he's never had any need to know.

But there is a lag between having blood that could pass on diseases and showing up positive in the testing kits that they use on the blood!

so while all the blood is tested, there is a very small risk that some of the blood that screens as OK to use, is, in fact infections (or this used to be the case for sure).

to reduce this small risk still further , they exclude blood from higher risk groups

It is KM - but I think MB is talking about other things and has made a good point.

It is. But there is a lag between getting infected and becoming antibody positive (because of biology) The tests for HIV tend to be against the antibody rather than the virus itself.

So there is a very, very small risk that some people will be 'missed' as actually being positive.

To reduce the risk to the people getting the blood transfusions they exclude people from higher risk groups

I know there can be a lag - just feels really silly that 8yrs since leaving the "high risk" country, and 10yrs since he last slept with anyone but me (AFAIK!) that he still can't give blood....

THey can't wait it out because the immune syetem doesn't woprk that way. The human imune system needs organs like the thymus to produce the right white blood cells

Well I know my Dad has been regularly giving blood since he was in his 20s.........scary, given what we now know!