On HIV and Blood Donation

Oh, come on, they haven't patched that for ages. And the Book of Mormon spin-off keeps getting new bugs with every update.

I honestly don't get it - why don't they just put everyone through the same blood tests and just not use the people whose blood isn't safe? Wouldn't that, instead of a blanket ban, ultimatley lead to more donations overall?

The cost of screening, testing, and screening all samples.

I should think the tests are worth it if the blood will save lives...

I think they already screen and test all samples. Some things, though, are hard to test for (e.g. prion diseases).

They already test for all diseases. This is just an excuse they use, plain and simple - and it's a real shitty excuse at that, considering how low of concentrations of HIV can be detected. Believe it or not, because most individual viruses are not successful, there IS a minimum dangerous threshold. Although, with HIV that is very very low in biological terms (I think it's a few billion individual viruses), that is a lot higher than what we can easily detect. This minimum threshold is how people can be accidentally stuck by a needle from an HIV positive person and not contract it - there were not enough individual viruses there to establish the infection.

edited 24th Aug '11 12:46:32 PM by Lessinath

prions are sneaky little bastards. Sad fact is you can't test for everything.

I can't donate my bisexual blood, but I'm an organ donor so they'll take my sexy filthy bisexual organs after death.

I all for them opening the restrictions up especially seeing as they test the blood they procure anyway.

From what I've recently heard those of us who like to dabble with those of the same gender can donate blood stem cells and bone marrow... In the UK at least.

this is off topic but would you be a living donor if asked? I wouldn't.

edited 24th Aug '11 5:57:16 PM by joeyjojo

I don't think you can, the NHS website for bone marrow/stem cell donation says you have to be a blood donor already, so that means if you can't donate blood due to sexuality you can't donate bone marrow/stem cells.

@Joey

If you are referring to Living Donation of Liver cells (which is the only reference a very quick google search shows up) yeah I'd be up for that, as the donor will be fully operational about a month and a half later.

But you wouldn't cough up a kidney or other major organ for anyone then?

edited 24th Aug '11 6:32:46 PM by joeyjojo

Well maybe not the most of reputable sources of information http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/08/24/call-for-gay-men-to-donate-blood-stem-cells/ This organisation is run by the National Blood Service which comes under NHS authority I think. This I find interesting.

I checked on the Anthony Nolan website too and it seems to check out. There is still restriction on people having sex with those from a high risk background, but it doesn't seem to class gay sex as a high risk action in and of itself. I'm actually quite interested in registering. I may not be able to donate blood any time soon but this seems an equally worthy cause.

A kidney I think I could.

edited 24th Aug '11 6:36:59 PM by PiccoloNo92

National blood society says 'you should never give blood if':

'You're a man who's had sex with another man, even safe sex using a condom.'

So that removes you from bone marrow definition following the NHS link I provided already as you can't be a blood donor.

Well checking the NHS Q&A as I won't have to change my lifestyle afterwards for Living kidney transplant yeah I 'd be up for that. I have no idea what other major organs I can transplant when alive.

My question is, why don't gay people just not say anything...?

I mean, sure, the law is retarded, but if you suck it up, you could save lives. I think life > pride, myself...

Well that seems pretty firm but Anthony Nolan has been trying to recruit gay people for donations 'dispelling the myths' about the restrictions on gay people on donating bone marrow or blood stem cells.

The reason why coming out is so liberating an experience is accepting you don't have to hide who you are any more. I personally have no desire to lie about my sexuality ever again and I don't see why any idiotic law and policy should require me to do so. Furthermore I don't see how hiding will change the system. In this instance I think I shall remain a principles zealot at the cost of utilitarian gain.

edited 24th Aug '11 7:02:52 PM by PiccoloNo92

Anthony Nolan isn't the NHS so perhaps their charity banks have different requirements to the NHS?

I have no idea what other major organs I can transplant when alive.

Pretty much all them. The question is do you want to be alive and healthy afterwards.

Honestly I wouldn't. The risk of rejection and trauma of surgery are just too high the justify it. Plus it just seem wrong on some level. It's like hacking your own arm off.

edited 24th Aug '11 7:01:25 PM by joeyjojo

Eh I'm almost 100% sure you can't be a living donor for every organ, as I need my heart.

However looking at the stats on the NHS the living donor stuff is a lot better than if I were dead as long as the blood type matched, also a very small minority ever die from being living donors and it provides no real risk or need to change my lifestyle.

This makes me think that once I've got myself a comfortable job etc I'll look into actually becoming a living donor.

So, you're telling me your pride is worth more than someone else' life? If they were bleeding on the road, and you were the only one who could (let's assume for the sake of argument that the type is right) and if you admitted you were gay, you would be disqualified, you wouldn't swallow your pride?

It's the same thing, really, except you'll never see that person bleeding on the side of the road. I'm all for activism and all, but at the cost of potentially life-saving things like this? I don't think I can stand behind that...

But it is run by an NHS authority I hear.

Funny you should mention that. I heard a story of a woman who wanted to have here arm surgically removed for no other reason but disliking her arm. Saying that probably not THAT funny really.

Maybe it seems like mindless pride hence why I admit that I fall guilty of the principles zealot trope. But unless you some way identify yourself as gay or being part of the LGBT community I don't see how you can possibly know what it feels like.

We'd obviously agree that the most logical step would be just to change the rules but I don't see that happening if we just lie about it. Furthermore I personally would have trouble lying in a situation like that especially in something as vital as blood donation. At the end of the day I am not a utilitarian and I do believe in following certain principles even if the consequences are not always desirable.

edited 24th Aug '11 7:14:39 PM by PiccoloNo92

I don't understand the logic of this or the relevance... explanation, please...?

Then there needs to be more communication as both NHS sites tell me GTFO regarding donation :s

edited 24th Aug '11 7:08:10 PM by IanExMachina

she didn't like her arm so she hacked it off