Posted on 09/27/2014 8:34:55 PM PDT by Phillyred
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Lifting a ban on blood donations from gay men would increase the amount of available blood by hundreds of thousands of pints (liters) each year and save more than a million lives a year, a California study showed.
The U.S. Federal Drug Administration has banned gay men from donating blood since 1983, when it was discovered that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was being transmitted through transfusions.
Eliminating the ban could bring in roughly 615,300 pints (291,145 liters) of blood annually, while allowing donations from gay men who had not had a sexual partner in a year could yield 317,000 pints (150,000 liters), the study estimated.
With a five-year policy, nearly 300,000 pints (142,000 liters) could be collected, according to the study by the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law at the University of California, Los Angeles.
"The American Red Cross suggests that each blood donation has the potential to be used in life-saving procedures on three individuals," said study co-author Ayako Miyashita. "Our estimates suggest that lifting the blood donation ban ... could be used to help save the lives of more than 1.8 million people."
The American Medical Association, the American Red Cross and AABB, formerly the American Association of Blood Banks, said in a statement this summer that the lifetime ban on blood donations for men who have had sex with other men should be modified.
HIV has targeted a disproportionate number of gay men since the 1970s, with 72 percent of new HIV infections in 2010 affecting gay and bisexual male youth.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
Sure allow blood donations from gay men.......as long as the blood is for other gay men.
Ixnay on abay gloodbay.
The propaganda business (mainstream news) will do anything to legitimatize sexual perversion into the normal lifestyle.
What the heck if 2 people out of 100 who have blood transfusions get AIDS? The other 98 benefited didn’t they?
On the other hand, if 1 person in 12,000,000 is accidentally shot by a gun, we must ban all guns for the safety of all!
That’s how contorted the reasoning is by liberals.
And kill a million more with AIDS and Hep B&C. Well we can screen. Well they said that back in the 70s and they thinned out the population of haemophiliacs.
Before being banned, I believe I remember that homosexuals gave blood at a much higher rate than did the general population.
“HIV has targeted a disproportionate number of gay men since the 1970s, with 72 percent of new HIV infections in 2010 affecting gay and bisexual male youth.”
HIV is so mean to target sweet, innocent gay men! I’m sure that homosexual behavior has NOTHING to do with getting infected.
Allowing homosexual men to donate blood will go far to correct that imbalance.
Heavens no! just thin them out a good bit.
I gave blood right after 9-11 but have been banned from giving for a decade now, because I was stationed in Germany in the 1980’s (mad cow disease?).
So this “study” says faggies can give, but I can’t!!!??
Holy cr@p!
Yes, looks like they enlisted Mike Mann to run their numbers!
Leftists are not just stupid but they are insanely stupid and totally devoid of any cognitive skills.
Great idea...for California. If they want it, fine...but not outside of California.
The blood of gay men is a powerful elixir. It is more potent than the blood of straight men! It will in itself, save the lives of millions!
Pure PC BS.
What’s the point of giving safe blood when you have the insane ones at the top allowing those with unsafe blood to donate?
soetoro’s idea?
Good point
Indeed!
An embarrassingly bogus claim—as if 2 million people are dying each year for lack of donated blood.
Western civilization is committing suicide.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.