Posted on 07/11/2014 9:48:10 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Men who have sex with other men have been banned from donating blood by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration since 1977.
According to the CDC, gay and bisexual men accounted for 63 percent of new HIV infections in 2010.
Universities across the country are hosting a National Gay Blood Drive today to encourage the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to change its current policies which prevent gay men from donating blood.
According to the FDAs website, men who have sex with other men (MSM) have an increased risk for HIV, hepatitis B and other types of infections that can be transmitted by transfusion.
Activists have pushed for gay men to be able to donate blood for the past several years. In 2010, a government health committee heard testimonies and reviewed the policy, but ultimately recommended keeping the ban and researching alternative policies.
The University of Cincinnatis Hoxworth Blood Center, Lane Community College in Oregon, and Western Michigan University are several of the sites for the blood drive, which encourages gay and bisexual men in the community to bring friends and family to donate blood as their proxies.
Josh Neumeyer, coordinator for the Hoxworth blood drive, told Campus Reform that he used to donate blood regularly in college but hasnt been able to since he became sexually active as a gay man.
I would gladly [give blood] again, Neumeyer said in an interview. But at the end of the day, it will be up to the FDA who makes the final decision with the policy.
However, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a national public health institute, says that gay and bisexual men are more severely affected by HIV than any other group in the United States.
According to the CDC, gay and bisexual men accounted for 63 percent of new HIV infections in 2010. From 2008 to 2010, new HIV infections increased 22 percent among gay and bisexual men between the ages of 13 to 24. Overall, new HIV infections increased 12 percent among men of all ages between those years.
Dr. Ronald Sacher, director of the Hoxworth Blood Center, claims that in the past 37 years screening practices for safe blood has improved.
Its quite apparent that over the years, with the improvement of the safety of the blood supply, that perhaps these policies need to be revisited, and thats the momentum to re-look at the policies, he told WCPO Cincinnati.
Sacher recommendsalong with Americas Blood Centers, AABB, and the American Red Crossthat the FDA changes their indefinite ban on homosexual men to a 12-month deferral period. This deferral period would be the same as for those who have an increased sexual behavior.
Activists have pushed for gay men to be able to donate blood for the past several years. In 2010, a government health committee heard testimonies and reviewed the policy, but ultimately recommended keeping the ban and researching alternative policies.
Those at the blood drive today will be given the opportunity to sign a petition against the FDAs policy which will be sent to the White House.
I wonder if any of the alphabet networks are dispatching a reporter to interview the family of Ryan White to get their point of view?
:::crickets:::
Or, that young girl who lost her life because her scummy dentist didn’t sterilize his instruments after he used them on himself.
But not until then.
Does anyone trust that gay men would not lie on the blood donor questionnaire?
I don’t see a problem ...As long as it’s used for Gay patients only.
Perverts giving blood? Let me get back to you on that one.
What could go wrong?
Gays don’t like hearing the argument that gay sex is unhealthy because of AIDS. So, they figure that if everyone gets AIDS then we can no longer make that argument.
And it was a direct result of many (innocent) people becoming infected when given tainted blood during medical procedures.
Is there some freeper doctor or medical person who can answer this factually?
I'll bet every freeper on this thread and on this board would like to know...including me!
Leni
This is a criminal act and requires prosecution of those that would taint the blood supply. Coprophiles are banned from giving blood for too many diseases to outline here.
I went with some other people to give blood in the summer of 1984. They already had questions trying to screen out high-risk groups. One of the men in our group was from Jordan and didn't understand some of the questions so I explained it to him as "venereal disease." (He wasn't in any high-risk group but was excluded because of malaria in Jordan.) I think the questions were further refined later.
Most likely the Government will demand AIDS infected blood be mixed with all other batches to give everyone a chance to share the misery.
I hope the put warning labels on those bottles!
Both. And I would add malevolent to the description.
**************************
Agreed.
The answer is yes - our nation’s blood supply has been tested for HIV for decades because the HIV virus is a blood-borne virus that lives in white blood cells
MinuteGal wrote:
“Has blood that is stored in hospitals for use in surgeries, emergency rooms, etc. been screened and tested for the AIDS factor?<
Is there some freeper doctor or medical person who can answer this factually?”
I’ll bet every freeper on this thread and on this board would like to know...including me!
Leni
I'm sure many of us freepers will rest easier now that we know hospital blood supplies are routinely tested for AIDS.
I figured this was the case....but in today's upside-down, Twilight-Zone world....who knows what evils and (irresponsibilities) lurk in the hearts of men?
Leni
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