FDA Considers Revision

[Kitan Etos]

[Jenny A]

I give blood regularly, and ALL of the requirements except iron content in the blood, blood pressure, and age, are based on my truthfulness including: weight, recent contact with sick people, recent contact with others blood, time spent abroad, autoimmune disorders, HIV, selling myself for sex, whether my husband has had sex with a man recently, whether I'm pregnant, etc.. They do look for drug injection marks. --- So in answer to your question, they hope people are honest.

[Chad32]

I'm not sure why they'd ban LGBT blood. Don't they already test all the blood to make sure it's clean? If not, they should. So what's the point of a ban?

[Endo]

I'm not sure why they'd ban LGBT blood. Don't they already test all the blood to make sure it's clean? If not, they should. So what's the point of a ban?

It's a prejudicial preventive measure so that they can be lazy in not actually testing the blood.

[Chad32]

That seems rather obvious. Some believe homosexual sex leads to more AIDS, so just ban LGBT blood without bothering to test it.

[vorlon13]

1980 or 1981, I recall donating at a specifically gay blood drive. (I've still got my very well worn blood donor card in my wallet with my blood type, JIC)

It wasn't till taking the AIDS test in '87 that I found out I hadn't killed anybody. Even if welcomed with open arms at the blood bank now, I'm not sure I could donate today without having an emotional reaction . . .

[Jenny A]

1980 or 1981, I recall donating at a specifically gay blood drive. (I've still got my very well worn blood donor card in my wallet with my blood type, JIC)

It wasn't till taking the AIDS test in '87 that I found out I hadn't killed anybody. Even if welcomed with open arms at the blood bank now, I'm not sure I could donate today without having an emotional reaction . . .

That's a question. Is the blood of sexually active gay men still more likely to be dangerous than everyone else's? I don't know. Do you? Because there are still blood shortages and a monogamous gay couple ought to be just as safe as a monogamous straight couple. And when I say I've not been in sexual contact with a man who has sex with men, I'm taking my husband's word for that.

[vorlon13]

Physically, I'm fine. Emotionally, some of what I've been through in regards to AIDS is not that far from the surface, even today. When Arizona had their marriage ban overturned recently it really hit me hard when I thought about Brian, and his having lived there prior to returning to the midwest in 1988, shortly before he died. I'm always going to miss him, and I'll always wish he had lived to see what happened in the next 25 years.

---

I don't know anyone (that I am aware of) that has sero-converted in the last ~12 years or so. I'd take a blood donation from any of my close friends, but I can't answer for anyone else about that.

[Jenny A]

Physically, I'm fine. Emotionally, some of what I've been through in regards to AIDS is not that far from the surface, even today. When Arizona had their marriage ban overturned recently it really hit me hard when I thought about Brian, and his having lived there prior to returning to the midwest in 1988, shortly before he died. I'm always going to miss him, and I'll always wish he had lived to see what happened in the next 25 years.

---

I don't know anyone (that I am aware of) that has sero-converted in the last ~12 years or so. I'd take a blood donation from any of my close friends, but I can't answer for anyone else about that.

I get the emotional connection and I'm sorry. I'm sorry you couldn't marry too. But we do need blood.

[Losty]

I always thought that the whole "gay men are more likely to have aids" thing was just a myth. Are there actually studies on it?