Male asked if I am pregnant when donating blood

[slipperypenguin]

I am a GC male. I am a regular blood donor, but today for the first time I was specifically asked by the nurse to confirm if I am / could possibly be pregnant.

I laughed as I thought she was joking as I felt it was obvious I am a biological male and therefore could not possibly be pregnant, but she told me they were "inclusive" and had to confirm.

This was in Scotland at a regular blood donor clinic.

Am I just out of touch with the times or is the world gone man? I can confirmed that I am a male yet am forced to answer this question in order to donate.

Sorry for the typos and reading that back not sure it totally made sense... to confirm - I am born / am a male and have a penis. I cannot possibly be pregnant yet was forced to answer this question despite indicating that I was a male (and very obviously looking and presenting as one)

I'd have laughed too (if I was male, I mean). But it's really not funny. What a world.

Your card will be marked, look forward to a visit! 😂

It's bloody bonkers

My husband was asked this in order to get Covid jab. He laughed too. It's fucking ludicrous.

is the world gone man

It always was, and still is - especially in Scotland.

If anyone hasn't seen the petitions trying to ensure a little bit of sanity remains, you may be interested in these. The first shouldn't be necessary but is:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4668426-petition-update-the-equality-act-to-make-clear-the-characteristic-sex-is-biological-sex

And maybe this too, given what's happening in Scotland.
www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4688427-repeal-the-gra

'...is the world gone man?' - yes, yes it has. Men grew bored of space being the final frontier and decided that women were. They are busy pillaging womenhood with glee. The word woman now means men too.

Out of interest, do they ask all women?

You may already know this but pregnant women's blood can be dangerous if given to men so they don't take blood from them. Unfortunately in healthcare staff are being encouraged to ask ALL patients about pregnancy if pregnancy is a risk even the ones that are clearly men. Anything to do with radiation - staff are now being encouraged to ask about this even if you're a 60 Yr old man there for prostate cancer treatment. Yes it is getting a bit silly.

I'd refuse to answer. See if they refuse to treat you.

Its craziness but It’s tricky though. How do you make sure to ask the right questions to the right people without judgement pregnancy can affect they blood antibodies. It’s easier to ask everyone. I work in paeds and we ask all girls over the age of 10 if they could be pregnant it’s a standard question same as asking if there’s any social services involvement we ask everyone.

Well as only females can get pregnant then I can see why you'd ask young girls the question.

Why would you ask a man the same question?

Utter tripe.

OP I would write to the patient liaison team suggesting a biology refresher course for the nurse!

that's fair enough. Wishi,
but the equivalent would be if you asked all boys over age 10 also.

Sorry what are you talking about? As a male and father of a daughter why am I not allowed to be concerned with the gender issues that are going on in Scotland?

Haha think that must have a Freudian slip!

Speak for yourself 🙄

The thing is when working with adults their sex on the medical records can be different to what was assigned at birth so I probably will start asking because who has the time in a&e to start making judgements on if they are male or male presenting. It’ll be done in the same breezy way I ask primary school aged girls and their families if they could be pregnant

@Tukmgru Attitudes like yours cause some reasonable sensible men who would like to support women in this into ones who won't support us. @slipperypenguin , ignore her, you are very welcome to continue to speak up about the issue, indeed I'd encourage you to - most women realise we need men onside in this debate as well.

Oh yes. The world is mad.

This policy has done what intended, however, as a young person in my family who is quite confused about their gender recently had a hospital visit and proudly shared that the nursing staff asked the same question. This was proof, apparently, that the estrogen hormones are working to make a female out of this male person, who was overjoyed at "being seen" as female by a medical professional.

This is a vulnerable adult whose delusion has just been reinforced. While I can laugh along with the absurdity, I also bemoan it. This bullshit is personal for many of us and I truly hate what it's doing to our young people.

However much it hurts for people like me, men should laugh as much as they can because we need male allies more than ever to point out the emperor has no clothes.

It's probably easier to just ask everyone rather than go through which people might or might be able to be pregnant these days. One question rather than a plethora.

I think there was a post somewhere recently where an older male in his 60s was asked at the blood donor clinic if he was pregnant. He was astonished and thought they were joking.
They weren't.
Because he declined to confirm whether or not he was pregnant, they refused his donation.

BaileySharp actually I think its if the woman has ever been pregnant. * *There is an increased risk of a male dying (2% within 3 years - totally from memory so don’t quote me) if given blood from a woman who has ever been pregnant.

Yes, don't speak for me either.

I think there is perhaps a way of phasing these questions, I have had a few MRI's and pregnancy is always a question, so I guess it could be prefaced with "some questions won't be relevant, but I just have to work through the form."