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?):

What is your sex (we need to be biologically accurate to ensure that best medical practice is followed regardless of your gender identity)? Male/Female
If your sex is female, have you ever been pregnant?

There done. Fully inclusive with medicine put first.

The thing that confirms to me that this isn't just a form and everyone gets all questions because we can't be arsed providing a proper questionnaire with relevant routing, but an ideological position, is the responses of the Prof. 1. He's pretending people can't see what sex other people are 2. He's claiming the mad option is "inclusive" and 3. He, a medically trained professional, uses the term "assigned at birth"

You either centre medicine or ideology.

If you centre ideology you aren't following best medical practice. This leaves you open to the risk of harming people.

Feelings dont trump material reality.

Not quite the same but the boys in my DC class were asked if they were pregnant before being given the HPV vaccine (age 12)

In this case, he's being ridiculous. The same form is used for men and women. You can't filter one question out based on the response to another on a paper form.

In other cases, I would back him wholeheartedly.

If the tranbs debates was in need of a bongo soundtrack, we could always ask a bongo players opinion ...

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled."

I have said this before on MN. My DH is in his 60s and recently went to have an MRI on his knee. The radiologist shuffled her feet and said with some embarrassment; 'I am sorry to have to ask this, but is there a chance you might be pregnant?.

DH knew the context this was being asked as I am a keen FWR followed on MN. So he just replied he felt sorry for her having to even broach this.

But really- FFS. What an embarrassment. If you a a patient who does not know the context of why this is being asked, - how much does this undermine the confidence you have in the medical professionals attending you?

I sense this is a bongo player who is better known for a very different day job. :)

I take your point about us ignoring the question about men having sex with men, but then that raises the question of, Is that now an identity based question or a sex based question? If a male or male partner identifies as a woman or non binary do they now ignore that question?

I have said this before on MN. My DH is in his 60s and recently went to have an MRI on his knee. The radiologist shuffled her feet and said with some embarrassment; 'I am sorry to have to ask this, but is there a chance you might be pregnant?.

For one of my many clinical hats, I take xrays of patients. I also deal with drugs which are known to effect the foetus.

In best past of 25 years of practice, noone has suggested I apply anything other than common sense in who I ask if they're pregnant. I've never - ever - heard it suggested I ask a man this. I also use my common sense on age. Over 12 and under 60, and female? I'm asking. Male, pre-pubertal, or drawing your pension then I'm not.

So it amazes me that this appears to be a thing in other services.

We do have a paper health form which we give everyone. There's one form which goes to everyone. And, yes, it's badly photocopied and wonky. So the men do get asked if they're pregnant on that, just as the toddlers get asked if they're smokers. Because the thought of having to customise the form to the individual is nightmarish, frankly. Generally the men just strike through that question, leave it blank, or tick no. If someone complained about that I'd probably think they were beign difficult for the sake of it.

@SummerLobelia, the absolute irony, surely, being:

If you are an obviously female, born female type of human, and you,'re also 60: nobody in their right mind will assume you might potentially be pregnant. "Daily Mail: I have birth to my great-grandchild!!!" headlines aside - in which case: you'll know and will make it known, alright!

If you could just written N/A that should be fine for a male or a woman beyond menopause. It's different to asking about whether you are a man who's sex with a man because you can't obviously tell that by looking. A person who is a man can never be pregnant.

I was when I went for my first covid jab, but I attribute that to the mask hiding a multitude of chins. The nurses and I had a bit of a laugh when I told them my age.

I'm with you there

I think sadly the 66 year old man was right to refuse if he felt so strongly. Sometimes the only way to get people to think is to vote with your feet. It certainly has prompted a response from the powers that be. If people didn't make stands, nothing would change would it?

I get it's weird to ask a 75 yr old woman if she is pregnant, but a man?

And our old friend 'assigned at birth' at play again. This time by a professor - I'm assuming medical?

@ErrolTheDragon, more power to you!

I am merely 40, only 2 chins (1 with good posture and lighting!), minimum wrinkles and no greys - people seem to be assuming I couldn't possibly be pregnant (in actual fact: very much hoping to be shortly and: no known bio reasons why I shouldn't be except: I'm 40!)

😁

I honestly can't see why this one bothers anyone. It's one question on a form, and I can see why it's easier to have the question for everyone. What would it have cost him to tick no? I think it's quite dickish to not donate for that reason.

I hate this attitude. Nobody has to volunteer, the fact that you wouldn't be bothered is irrelevant- the cost to him is implicitly supporting something he think is harmful.

If we want more people to give blood then simple, clear, easy paperwork is needed, so the barriers to participation are low.

@Hardbackwriter

One question?
In the US the official policy for males having sex with other males was that they could not donate blood unless that other male identified as a woman.

The way the question is asked is important too.

How is it inclusive to pretend that males can ever get pregnant?

How can a Bleeder take a discrimination case against an employer if all the bleeders notice that bleeders remain in entry level positions while ejaculators end up in management positions?

Ireland has self ID, politicians are legislating for bleeder's needs and want to remove the word women from birth related legislation.
The abortion act is specific worded to women and girls this was passed 2 years after the GRA was passed.
Women have protection from gender discrimination but males must promise to live in that gender to get a GRC.
It would be easiest to amend the GRA to recognise that females (and males) have sex specific needs which the State provide funding for. But to admit that is to admit that the GRA is fundamentally flawed.

Female reproductive systems and cycles are not "inclusive"

The questions are single sex, so why not organise the form to asking if someone is male then skip question X,Y,X.

The decision is political. In Health care ignoring biology is a political decision.

In the US it was identity based.
The following combinations were excluded :
Two males
Two females who both ID as men.
A male with a female who IDs as a man.

While a male with a male who IDs as a woman could donate as neither were in a "homosexual relationship".