My school won't let gay people donate blood?

[Kaleidoscope]

My school won't let gay people donate blood?

http://www.wpix.com/landing/?Gay-Student-Protests-Ban-On-Blood-Donati=1&blockID=229416&feedID=1404

/we suck.

[IamTheINDUSTRY]

more of a chance to have aids?

[Kaleidoscope]

Apparently, the rule that doesn't let them was made in 1977 when people didn't know much about it, and it never was changed.

I don't understand it though because they test the blood either way before it's donated.

[Duexy]

Lol

[zion the lion]

Thats how the blood bank works, if you've had gay sex you cant donate, and if you've had sex with someone who's had gay sex you cant donate for a long time. But I dont know if that means like if a girl goes down on another girl then she cant donate, not like it's happened with me. I just want to know.

[perceptrons]

It's not just your school.

[more heart]

Yeah I read something in a blood donation pamphlet that gay men sexually active after 1977 can't donate. it's all about the risk for the spread of AIDS.

[tcg47]

When reached from comment, the FDA responded to the controversy by reiterating the lifetime ban.

The FDA is apparently ridiculous and has no idea what it is doing

[Kaleidoscope]

The FDA is apparently ridiculous and has no idea what it is doing

apparently.

[billyboatkid]

That sucks for you....?

In the form of a question.

[Kaleidoscope]

I'm not gay.. it's just stupid that they haven't changed the rule.

[igetmikey]

How are they going to know if you're gay?
And what if you are bi?
O_o

[Kaleidoscope]

How are they going to know if you're gay?
And what if you are bi?
O_o

you have to fill out a survey.

[about3fitty]

so just lie on the survey? they cant be like "we know you have had a penis in your butt, you cant donate"

[Kaleidoscope]

so just lie on the survey? they cant be like "we know you have had a penis in your butt, you cant donate"
\
yup

[MarshmallowHobo]

That's really pathetic. Not your school, I mean the rule.

[tonyC4L]

so just lie on the survey? they cant be like "we know you have had a penis in your butt, you cant donate"
I'm pretty sure that lying on the survey just so you can feel the satisfaction of donating (while potentially giving other people a deadly virus) is way worse than not donating.

[perceptrons]

It's rather simple really, "Better Safe Than Sorry."

That being said, I don't necessarily agree with the rule.

[inyoursea]

Stupid rule, needs to be changed.

[zion the lion]

The rule is pretty dumb, its like saying that black people cant donate blood because we have a higher rate of hiv/aids in the country. Sooner or later they're going to have to loosen up a bit, because they're always saying theyre in desperate need of blood.

[Kaleidoscope]

Yeah, NJ blood bank is tapped.

[spansen]

Apparently, the rule that doesn't let them was made in 1977 when people didn't know much about it, and it never was changed.

I don't understand it though because they test the blood either way before it's donated.
fyi, when they 'test' your blood before you donate all they're doing is checking your iron level. if it floats you fail, if it sinks you're good.

[ablueskytragedy]

Paramus, Paramus, Paramus....

[CTMarshall]

gay blood can make you gay. everyone knows that......just kidding. The regulation really should be changed.

[Poochemist]

gay blood can make you gay. everyone knows that

This, in combination with your Smokey the Bear avatar just seems so right.

[zaxophone]

this is insane..
there are ways to test this now.. who says you can even trust them to answer honestly? what if they answer no, are tested and realize they do have aids? hello, dont ask dont tell?
and besides, today it is just as common for heterosexuals to get aids as homosexuals. 1977 was a long time ago.

[zion the lion]

this is insane..
there are ways to test this now.. who says you can even trust them to answer honestly? what if they answer no, are tested and realize they do have aids? hello, dont ask dont tell?
and besides, today it is just as common for heterosexuals to get aids as homosexuals. 1977 was a long time ago.

Everyone knows straight people cant get aids...duh.

[zaxophone]

Everyone knows straight people cant get aids...duh.
i think this is sarcasm? but
http://www.ukcoalition.org/HIV-Test/21573.htm
"Of course that doesn't mean straight people don't get AIDS, it just means that certain groups are affected more and at greater risk. Worldwide though, women account for 50% of all AIDS cases."
"Since Gay people do not practice risky behaviors to a greater degree than straight people, they do not have a higher risk of AIDS. This is only told to people due to outdated information and prejudice."

http://www.apositivelife.com/whatishiv/who-can-get-hiv.html

[nostalgia11]

people should just be aware of their status, and not try to donate blood if they know they have AIDS. too bad there's no honesty in todays world

[billyboatkid]

I should probably get checked for STD's.... hmmm

[zion the lion]

i think this is sarcasm? but
http://www.ukcoalition.org/HIV-Test/21573.htm
"Of course that doesn't mean straight people don't get AIDS, it just means that certain groups are affected more and at greater risk. Worldwide though, women account for 50% of all AIDS cases."
"Since Gay people do not practice risky behaviors to a greater degree than straight people, they do not have a higher risk of AIDS. This is only told to people due to outdated information and prejudice."

http://www.apositivelife.com/whatishiv/who-can-get-hiv.html

Yeah it was sarcasm. But interesting.

[Smash Adams]

Vb3erz9M44g

[Duexy]

i think this is sarcasm? but
http://www.ukcoalition.org/HIV-Test/21573.htm
"Of course that doesn't mean straight people don't get AIDS, it just means that certain groups are affected more and at greater risk. Worldwide though, women account for 50% of all AIDS cases."
"Since Gay people do not practice risky behaviors to a greater degree than straight people, they do not have a higher risk of AIDS. This is only told to people due to outdated information and prejudice."

http://www.apositivelife.com/whatishiv/who-can-get-hiv.html



thanks for clearing that one up, buddeh.

[bertpwns]

Personally, I don't think it's fair that homosexuals can't donate blood. Just like a few of you said, heterosexuals can have AIDS too. I mean, sure, being homosexual raises your chances of disease, but they do test the blood before it is given to someone else. Spansonsaid fyi, when they 'test' your blood before you donate all they're doing is checking your iron level. if it floats you fail, if it sinks you're good... They DO check your iron level, true, but they also do tests on it for diseases, etc., before it is given to someone. Why would they take some random person's blood, ignorant to whether or not this person lied on the survey they give you, and give it to someone? That's a horrible thing to do, maybe even more horrible than the person who lied on the survey. In my opinion, everyone should be able to give blood as long as they are free of disease. What a horrible world we live in.

[killerswells]

I hate giving blood, it makes me feel really fucked up afterwards.

If someone who is gay, and free of disease, wants to donate, more power to them...
There are people dying because they need blood transfusions, and we want to nitpick who we allow to donate...stupid

[ACA]

The simple solution is to lie.

Why does America always force good people to do bad things?

[NicoleMariex3]

My school has a Gay-Straight Alliance
and gay couples are not allowed to go to junior and senior prom together.
semi irrelevant... but it follows the same lines.... it sincerely isn't fair how this free country thinks

[weownthestreets]

They DO check your iron level, true, but they also do tests on it for diseases, etc., before it is given to someone. Why would they take some random person's blood, ignorant to whether or not this person lied on the survey they give you, and give it to someone? That's a horrible thing to do, maybe even more horrible than the person who lied on the survey. In my opinion, everyone should be able to give blood as long as they are free of disease. What a horrible world we live in.

Okay, you need to realize something very, very crucial. You're over-simplifying the issue and making it about the morallity. In the end, it's about statistics. Statistical reasoning is, and remains to be, a completely sound medical argument for the continued discriminatory practices of blood donor clinics.

Medical screening tests are not fail-proof. They're not doing specific assays on each and every blood sample; they're screening them for a wide variety of diseases. There can always be false-positives and false-negatives in these screening tests, and so--while you can do further testing--it is best to not collect samples into the pool that are from patients with certain risk factors.

It may not be "nice" in the broadest of senses, but it's complete prudent--both statistically, and (I think) ethically. We're minimizing the probability of diseased blood being transfused. If we had a perfect system where all blood could be perfectly analyzed, it wouldn't be a problem.

[thesafeword]

Personally, I don't think it's fair that homosexuals can't donate blood. Just like a few of you said, heterosexuals can have AIDS too. I mean, sure, being homosexual raises your chances of disease, but they do test the blood before it is given to someone else. Spansonsaid .. They DO check your iron level, true, but they also do tests on it for diseases, etc., before it is given to someone. Why would they take some random person's blood, ignorant to whether or not this person lied on the survey they give you, and give it to someone? That's a horrible thing to do, maybe even more horrible than the person who lied on the survey. In my opinion, everyone should be able to give blood as long as they are free of disease. What a horrible world we live in.
I hope you realize that that red font automatically discredits whatever you said.

[screamoutmyname]

hah sucks.