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