Male blood donors are asked “are you pregnant?”

[Inamuddle36]

A repeat blood donor (125 pints over 50 years) refused to proceed recently when he was required to answer the question “are you pregnant?):

Well that's fine then.

"Sex assigned at birth". That term will never stop annoying the hell out of me.

Happens all the time now. A friend of mine, assigned male at birth and never thought of changing his mind about it, now 73 , has regular follow up scans for a previous complaint. What he refers to as ‘those poor girls’ ( because they are embarrassed to have to ask such a stupid question) have to ask him at every appointment ‘Mr Smith, are you pregnant? ‘.

because he is a nice man, he says he just smiles and says ‘not as far as I know.’ Then he goes and takes his regimental tie off and puts on the gown.

How was his sex assigned? Coin toss, one potato two potato, some kind of sorting hat?

I recently filled in an online medical form.
There was a question for 'gender' as male or female. On choosing the latter, an extra 'could you be pregnant' question appeared.

That's an example of using 'gender' as a euphemism for sex which ends up being 'non inclusive'. Asking someone's sex (and surely everyone knows that on a medical form that means one's actual sex, and what that is) would be correctly inclusive of transmen who may otherwise miss the extra question.

There's no need for a 'gender' question ( except for issues specific to trans peoples health) - sex and preferred title/name does the job accurately and inclusively.

the alternative is putting it on frontline workers to make decisions about who passes?

And that's the lunacy in action, isn't it?

Suddenly some people don't tell the truth even when their health, or the health of others, rely upon it. And everyone suddenly finds it difficult to say the obvious out loud. We can't be honest for fear of hurting someone's feelings - which is now approaching levels of a capital crime.

Instead of pandering to this one specific dysmorphia we should be treating it the same as all others, insisting the sufferers acknowledge reality and find their own way of dealing with that.

But no. Instead we manufacture a world that relies upon a fundamental lie being seen to be believed.

Women donate four times a year in Scotland anyway.

If I remember correctly, the forms always had the question on, it was just that there were general sections plus a section for women (about pregnancy etc) and a section for men (do you have sex with men etc). You just left blank the section that wasn't relevant — which is effectively what this man wanted to do.

I've filled out loads of forms at medical appointments over the years that have asked questions that don't apply to me.

These documents are quickly stitched together in a Word document, photocopied, put in a pile and are handed out to all patients at reception. They're poorly formatted, have a few typos and are just a tool to get patients to answer the big important questions.

I don't think it's an issue particularly.

Did you read the article? The staff response?

@KittenKong exactly. "assigned" what a bloody stupid and deliberately inflammatory term.

I donated this week in Scotland.

There were no separate questions for men and women today, although there was a pregnancy question.

I was also given a list to choose from as to how I saw myself. The same list as the recent government census.

Last time I looked everyone’s donation was a very pretty shade of red.

People can put down whatever they want so why is it even necessary? I’m buggered if I can see what the difference is between Scottish and English blood either and yet that is on there.

Should my blood be tartan?

If they want to have one form, then they could just allow answers yes/no/NA, with a general instruction to put NA for questions irrelevant to your sex or age.

If this is the silly old man whos been all over social media this weekend, he obviously sees himself as some sort of warrior against gender ideology. I see him as a silly old berk. Last time I gave blood, there was a question about was I a man who had sex with men. I found myself quite able to tick 'no' without having a righteous hissy fit about it.

I got asked if I was pregnant before having an MRI once. I was visibly pregnant and the purpose of the MRI was to check the extent to which my placenta was growing outside my uterus. I said yes. We looked at each other for a few seconds and she moved onto the next question.

This is rather an ignominious end to a remarkable lifetime history of altruism and donation that I'd otherwise have expected SNBTS to recognise and honour.

For your assertions, in order:

• Is he?
• Does he?
• Plausibly your prerogative although you give no grounds for it beyond that you seem to disagree with him on one issue.
• You didn't perceive the MSM question as something that you did not wish to answer. You might have seen it as irrelevant but you opted for compliance. This man must have answered the MSM question many times over his history of blood donation. He obviously responded to it but, for whatever reasons, this time he refused to respond to a question to which he objects.

I think that’s an excellent thing.
I hope this will make more men uncomfortable.

When women say there is an issue with assuming transwomen are women we get shut down. Maybe they will listen when men aren’t happy with TMAM.

Id also like this to ask transwomen if they are pregnant. It might be a reminder for them that they cannot because they just can’t.

i so wish we were going towards adding transwomen and transmen and two new categories ans be done with the whole mascarade of TWAW and TMAM.

btw if the issue is one form=everyone is asked that question, then he needs to get a life.

Actually i disagree.

He is giving his blood so that others can be treated in the best possible way.

If we aren't being transparent and honest about sex and making the point that it is essentia to know this as part of blood donation then actually that breaks trust in the system and that people will be treated properly.

Theres been a well documented case of someone being treated as male for kidney issues which put their life at risk.

There is a legitimate reason to make a protest against this insanity. Its not 'being dickish'.

I agree with a previous poster- it makes the healthcare staff look ridiculous and undermines confidence in them. You might say that this particular man was throwing his toys out of the pram and he should have just gone along with it. I disagree. I think far more people need to push back against each and every one of these silly things. If all men giving blood refused to say if they were pregnant and walked out if pressed, then the Blood Donation service would have the policy changed by the end of the week.

@Hardbackwriter
They could just put a third n/a option and avoid any upset. It's funny how that can add options to suit some but not others.

Did they ask your sex? As explained above, they absolutely need to know that. Can be fatal to the recipient otherwise.

I will have to look next time onceagain I’m thinking that may already be printed on my form and part of the details that I confirm are correct.

But I wasn’t asked, no.

Never before have we had an ideology that actively deskills professionals and makes them look so bloody foolish.

You forgot Brexit (for a start).

I will really need this to happen to my extremely obviously born male, Catholic, 50s, very senior, pretty prudish, and otherwise quite lovely male boss (who, currently, doesn't "get it" except for the fact that he is thoroughly confused - he's trying to toe the company line, but it's pretty obvious that he's struggling even more than I am.)

Hilarity would ensue. Also: "very senior guy starting to ask questions" - which I'd welcome with open arms!

I think I might start answering the 'sex assigned at birth' with Hufflepuff. Could be interesting.