Gay Blood Donation

Hey!

I don't know if you are aware or not, but in the last few days the "ban" on gay blood donations has been altered to allow gay/bisexual males to donate blood as long as they have not had sex with a male within the last 12 month. (BBC News Article)

However, I think this is pathetic, stereotypical and quite offensive.

I'm gay. I do not have any STD's. I enjoyed being a blood donor. My blood can save lives. Why does being gay stop me from helping? Every blood donation, whether from a male or female is tested to ensure there are no blood-born infections/diseases - so why don't they just do the EXACT SAME for gay/bisexual males? There is no extra time or costs incurred!!

So, I thought I'd send off a little bit of an email to The National Blood Service just to let them know what I thought and so thought I'd let you have a little read of what I said.

Let me know what you think.

Steven :-)

Here's what I said in the email:

Dear Sirs,

Let me begin by setting a hypothetical situation in your head:

I’m a young male in his 20’s. I go out one night and have sexual contact with a female I met that night; unbeknownst to me she has HIV. I do not get told she has HIV therefore I do not feel the need to get tested – which, in all honesty, lots of people will have sex with people they do not know and never get tested. Several months later my friend persuades me to donate blood with them and I agree. So I go along and donate blood whilst all alone I am unaware that I have been unfortunate enough to have caught HIV from the one night stand several months earlier. I give blood, I go home and that is that.

My 1st question: Will this HIV positive blood be used for treatment of another patient?

Your answer: No!

My 2^nd question: How so?

Your answer: Blood donations are tested before allowing to be used?

My 3^rd question: So if this happens for blood donations from heterosexual donors, why doesn’t this just happen for gay/bisexual male donors? It is the exact same – there are no extra costs, there is no extra time needed – it happens with all blood donations, as if not, and you didn’t test every donation, wouldn’t someone possibly become HIV positive following the hypothetical blood donation I mentioned earlier?

Yes, I do accept the ban on gay blood donors has been “altered” – however, why only to 12 month? Why not just completely removed? If every blood donation is tested – then simply do that with gay male donations; or is it blatant stereotyping? “Oh,  you’re gay – you have HIV/Aids/Hepatitis” – you may so no it isn’t stereotyping, then what is it?

I would now like to set another hypothetical situation:

A new born baby has a rare blood type and is in desperate need of a blood transfusion. There is an extreme shortage of this blood type and so this baby will die. However I am a gay male and have a matching blood type, I would happy to donate blood, I know I have no STD’s however, several months ago I had sex with my partner who I have been in a happy, monogamous relationship with for many years – by your rules, and the disallowing of me donating blood because I am a gay male, it is likely this baby will die, even though my blood would be tested before donation to check for any infections.

Now time for a person comment. I am a gay male. I used to donate blood on every occasion I could before I became sexually active as a gay male. I have no STD’s. I am not allowed to donate blood as I have been sexually active within the last 12 months. My blood can save lives. I would happily donate blood. My blood would be tested along with EVERY OTHER DONATION MADE BY EVERY OTHER PERSON REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION. You are stopping me from helping. 

I would like to know what REASONABLE, NON-STEREOTYPICAL response you have to this?

Regards,

Former Blood Donor

Mr S. McIntyre

What to do...

You spend 3 years of your life working towards the goal of getting the best degree that you can. You get a degree that your happy with. You're full of hopes of getting your 'dream job'. You get a job that you think you'll be in while your searching for that dream job. You end up stuck in the "bridge job" still searching...months, even years later.

Sound familiar? Thought it might.

I heard an advertisement today for the university that i went to and it said something like 93% of graduates are in employment within 6 months of graduating from there. "Wow, sounds great" you might think, but I didnt fail to notice, it didn't state that the job was in any way related to their degree. It could be flipping burgers in McDonalds...

Don't get me wrong. Yes I do have a job. Yes the money is ok. Yes its a secure job in a HUGE organisation. However, No it isnt what I want. I know I should feel lucky to actually have a job when there are people all around the country doing everything they can just to get a job, if its minimum wage and the worst job you could imagine - I am grateful I have the comfort of my job - but its just not me.

To make things worse, where I live, finding a job related to my degree is like finding a winning lottery ticket. I'd have to commute at least 1 hour (each way) to find a job related to my degree, which would be less paid than my current job, would cost more to get there - therefore I'd be financially worth off. However is that such a bad thing?

Several months ago I was offered a job in Skipton (North West of Bradford/Leeds). It was my ideal job...a microbiologist working in a well established company. The pay was equal to what I am getting now, but I turned it town. Why? Location. I'd have to move away - which I am not that bothered about - but it was in the middle of no where. All you could see if you looked out of your window was field after field after field. Yeah it's all nice and countrysidish and all that jazz - but I was to be in a city. Manchester. London. Newcastle!!

I used to think I wanted to move away. Then I changed my mind as I started to think, 'I don't want to leave my family and friends', but now I'm starting to second think this. Yes I would be moving away from my family and friends - but, and I mean this without sounding harsh, so what?! I have a car - I'd visit all of the time. I'd invite them down. I'd probably see them as much as I do now!! 

I'm starting to lose focus. So I think I'll just sumarise. I want a job related to my degree. I'm happy to move away - as long as it's to a city. Yes I would miss my family and friends - but I love them so much that I would make every effort I could to see them as often of humanly possible. 

So if there is anyone who reads this who knows of any Biological/Microbiological jobs in Newcastle, Manchester, London etc...drop me a comment and if I get a job, I'll buy you a pint (or box of chocolates - its upto you!!)

Ciao for now!

Steven x

Hello!!

Ok! Well here I go...first ever blog!!

I was never really interested in doing blogging or anything like that - I thought twitter would suffice - but after reading my friend Laura's blog (Laura Anne Photography) I decided I might as well give it a go. The next thing I know, Elaine has jumped on the bandwagon and started blogging too!! (Elaine Hargreaves) I hope they appreciate that I'm promoting their blogs - HINT HINT!!

Anyways - even though this is my first blog I have absolutely no idea what to talk about. So I'll just talk about something I was thinking about earlier today - Lent.

Now if you know me, you'll know I am not religious - at all! I'm in fact the opposite in some ways. So I thought I would look at Lent in a different way too! You hear people talking about what they are "giving up" and what they are "stopping themselves from having" - and yes I do understand Lent is about giving something you like up just as that guy did for 40 days and 40 nights - and no im not talking about Josh Hartnett!! But to be fair I think a lot of people do it as a "health blast" - so my thinking is - if its for that health reason - why "give up" something? Why not "start something"?!

If you look at it this way - its like having a big red button with a sign that says "Do Not Push!" - you want to push it!! So saying you cant have something will make you want it more, yeah? My thinking is I'm not going to give anything up, or stop anything - I'm going to start doing things and eating things that will be beneficial in the long run.

I'm not giving up chocolate, takeaways, alcohol (haha at the thought of me giving up alcohol). I am starting to eat healthy, go to the gym more, go for walks etc...etc...

I'm not starving myself of the bad things, I'm filling myself with the good things!!

So to start all this off - I shall be going to the gym tomorrow with my friend Alex and if I get the craving for a piece of chocolate or a bottle of beer - I'll have it - but I'll be sure to balance it out with more exercise and healthy foods.

I've now got to the stage where I'm just talking a load of rubbish - so I shall end this blog here, and go get a cup of coffee - with sugar - NOT sweeteners!!

Steven

x