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Right or wrong?


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Right or wrong?

Posted 06-27-2012 at 04:23 PM by Jordan
So today I donated blood. It was a relatively unpleasant experience (do not like them needles) but I felt good for doing it. However, now I'm trying to decide whether or not it was the right decision. I'm not sure how many of you are aware of the current restrictions of blood donation in the UK (in this case, if you are male and have had sexual intercourse with another man in the past 12 months, you cannot give blood). I decided to lie on the form that asked this question, and donated blood anyway. After all, every donation is tested for diseases and other stuff, regardless of who it came from, so even if I did have anything, they would reject it anyway. Am I right in thinking the rule is outdated, or should I have respected it and not given blood? Why should I be prevented from donating blood, having been with the same partner for almost a year, when others who have had multiple partners (possibly with unprotected sex) get to?
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Mr. Bungle's Avatar
You're gonna spread the gay gene everywhere, man. Within the next few years, UK will be even more homosexual than it is now.

Seriously though, that's kind of a stupid law. If you're willing to give blood it shouldn't matter whether you've fucked a man or not.
Posted 06-27-2012 at 04:25 PM by Mr. Bungle

Sekto Springs's Avatar
Is the first law you've ever broken?
You sure act like it.

Illegally pirate 20K+ in music and software and then we'll talk.
Posted 06-27-2012 at 04:33 PM by Sekto Springs

Jordan's Avatar
Yeah, I guess it is. Well, as far as I know. In comparison to most people, I do come across as a pussy. >_<
Posted 06-27-2012 at 04:35 PM by Jordan

Sekto Springs's Avatar
You really do, bro.
I think shoplifting a candy bar is a more serious offense than what you pulled. At least your "crime" will ultimately benefit someone else.
Posted 06-27-2012 at 04:36 PM by Sekto Springs

Havoc's Avatar
Those rules are stupid anyway and date back to the 1950's when people still thought aids was a gay decease. Today we know better and it strikes me a completely retarded that those rules haven't been changed yet (it's the same over here).

Like you said, blood is always tested anyway. So who cares. I doubt the doctors care. I doubt the patient who gets it cares. And the ones who do care, you shouldn't care about. Simply, really.
Posted 06-27-2012 at 04:48 PM by Havoc

DarkHoodness's Avatar
Yeah I gave blood once (I should do it again at some point) and noticed that. How is someone having sex with another member of their gender more likely to get a sexually transmitted disease then having sex with someone of the opposite gender? There something I'm missing?

EDIT: Or is it again just discriminatory bullshit?
Posted 06-27-2012 at 04:53 PM by DarkHoodness
Updated 06-27-2012 at 05:00 PM by DarkHoodness

Phylum's Avatar
Here they ask if you've had unprotected anal sex. From what I gathered gender wasn't an issue.
Posted 06-27-2012 at 05:20 PM by Phylum

DarkHoodness's Avatar
Yeah that crossed my mind and would be a more sensible and logical restriction if that's what they're worried about here in the UK. Anal sex isn't exclusive to men, though - Therefore their restriction is discriminatory.
Posted 06-27-2012 at 05:25 PM by DarkHoodness

Havoc's Avatar
I think the general idea is that STD's are transmitted faster when having unprotected anal sex. I have no idea if this is true though, it sounds like bullshit to me.
Posted 06-27-2012 at 05:27 PM by Havoc

Wings of Fire's Avatar
I'm fairly sure the incidence for STDs being passed through anal sex is far higher than for vaginal sex.

Hell, even for oral sex is surprisingly large.
Posted 06-27-2012 at 05:47 PM by Wings of Fire

Nate's Avatar
:
Those rules are stupid anyway and date back to the 1950's when people still thought aids was a gay decease. Today we know better and it strikes me a completely retarded that those rules haven't been changed yet (it's the same over here).
(1) HIV/AIDS wasn't recognised as a disease until the '80s.
(2) Their job is to filter out high risk individuals.
(3) Gay men are still disproportionately more likely to have HIV.

In my mind, it is totally appropriate for the blood bank to ask questions about a person's sexual activity. That said, 12 months is far too wider window given that HIV tests are quite reliable at the 6 month mark. Also, it really should ask about protected vs unprotected sex and number of partners.

:
Here they ask if you've had unprotected anal sex. From what I gathered gender wasn't an issue.
That's not correct. The Australian Red Cross website lists all the questions and one is "Within the last 12 months have you:
Had male to male sex (that is, oral or anal sex) with or without a condom?"
Posted 06-27-2012 at 07:50 PM by Nate

JennyGenesis's Avatar
I haven't given blood before, because I really hate needles so god damn much, and to be honest, I use my sexuality as an excuse not to do it, but even if I could give blood, I still wouldn't.

In fact, I have a blood test tomorrow and it is annoying the hell out of me, I don't handle needles well!
Posted 06-28-2012 at 01:34 AM by JennyGenesis

DarkHoodness's Avatar
Unless they're diseased, nobody has an excuse not to do it IMO. It's easy and helps saves lives - And hell it may even save your own life one day next time you have to have an operation or need hospitalisation due to an accident. That blood they'll use to patch you up has to come from somewhere. Bear that in mind.

My late auntie used to be responsible for keeping the database system running for the blood service here in the UK. She could keep track of individual blood donations even though donors aren't normally told where their blood goes.

Once, she found out that one of my cousin's samples was directly given to a premature baby to save its life, which was quite touching. My only sample I gave was pooled and submitted directly into a blood bank of my blood type, so probably helped a few people rather than just one.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 02:19 AM by DarkHoodness

Crashpunk's Avatar
What a retarded law, I fail to see how being gay makes you unable to give blood. It's not like your blood is different to anyone else just because your gay.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 02:24 AM by Crashpunk

Wil's Avatar
Face it. The National Blood Service obviously doesn't feel they're in need of so much blood as to not exclude people for shoddy reasons.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 03:02 AM by Wil

Nate's Avatar
:
What a retarded law, I fail to see how being gay makes you unable to give blood. It's not like your blood is different to anyone else just because your gay.
Did you read my comment?
Posted 06-28-2012 at 03:17 AM by Nate

Laser's Avatar
Why are gay men more likely to get AIDs?
Posted 06-28-2012 at 04:20 AM by Laser

Wings of Fire's Avatar
:
Why are gay men more likely to get AIDs?
Anal sex has a higher incidence rate of transfering STDs.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 04:40 AM by Wings of Fire

STM's Avatar
I would have thought they'd have their reasons for it. It's probably not a big deal though, I imagine you'd know if you had any STD's from the last time you went to the clinic, assuming you go.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 04:45 AM by STM

Nate's Avatar
:
Why are gay men more likely to get AIDs?
In addition to what WoF said, because in the developed world, many gay men have HIV. So more gay men are likely to get HIV.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 06:03 AM by Nate

OANST's Avatar
I'm not allowed to give blood.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 06:14 AM by OANST

JennyGenesis's Avatar
:
Anal sex has a higher incidence rate of transfering STDs.
That's true, but it doesn't stop heterosexual people who have anal sex giving blood.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 09:58 AM by JennyGenesis

Crashpunk's Avatar
:
Did you read my comment?
Honestly...no.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 12:27 PM by Crashpunk

T-nex's Avatar
Nate's comment isnt good enough for Chris.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 12:55 PM by T-nex

Wings of Fire's Avatar
:
That's true, but it doesn't stop heterosexual people who have anal sex giving blood.
Anal sex has a higher incidence amongst homosexual male couples.

That one sort of stands to reason.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 01:35 PM by Wings of Fire

Laser's Avatar
Is it because the HIV virus lives in the...I don't know the body part directly above the anus?

I'm not being deliberately stupid. I just don't understand why anal sex is so terrible when it comes to giving blood.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 01:54 PM by Laser
Updated 06-28-2012 at 02:00 PM by Laser

JennyGenesis's Avatar
As we established, it poses a higher risk for STD's.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 02:09 PM by JennyGenesis

Wings of Fire's Avatar
:
Is it because the HIV virus lives in the...I don't know the body part directly above the anus?
Blood transferal is more likely to happen during anal sex.
Posted 06-28-2012 at 02:12 PM by Wings of Fire

Mr. Bungle's Avatar
:
I'm not allowed to give blood.
Assuming this isn't a joke, why?
Posted 06-28-2012 at 04:20 PM by Mr. Bungle

Nate's Avatar
:
I'm not allowed to give blood.
What, ever again? The American Red Cross doesn't apply the 12 month rule there either, I guess. (Men-who-have-had-sex-with-men are banned for life in the US)

:
Blood transferal is more likely to happen during anal sex.
I believe it's something to do with the fact that the anus isn't actually made for insertion of objects, so it's more likely to burst blood vessels in the process than a vagina would.


Doesn't that sound charming, now?
Posted 06-28-2012 at 05:29 PM by Nate

 
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