Posted on 05/20/2004 12:47:08 PM PDT by Serb5150
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US government said it would ban homosexuals from making anonymous donations to sperm banks, in the name of preventing transmittable diseases, in a move swiftly condemned by gay rights groups.
New Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) rules that take effect May 25 require agencies that collect tissues or cells including sperm to ask the donor if he has had sex with men or used injectable drugs in the past five years. If the answer is affirmative in either case no donation is allowed.
The FDA says the rules are just an extension of procedures already in effect for donating blood or organs.
"This new rule was developed with input from many concerned consumers, associations and tissue establishments. In all cases, we carefully considered the comments we received in the proposed rule and made changes in the final rule when the science supported the change," said Acting FDA commissioner Lester Crawford.
But homosexual rights groups slammed the move.
"The FDA guidelines are unscientific. There is a 72 hour test which would provide information as to whether a person was HIV (news - web sites) positive, we know that even the International Red Cross accepts blood from men who have sex with men," said Roberta Sklar, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (news - web sites).
"This is another instance of the Bush administration ignoring scientific information and putting forth their own agenda to satisfy the extreme right wing conservative voters. It does not take in current scientific findings and recommendations.
Should be a fun thread, but PLEASE, no pictures!!!!!
Oh just shut up.
Sounds reasonable to me.
Sayyyy ... aren't you supposed to be in class?
Outraged over being barred from making sperm donations. Man, these "guys" are sensitive.
I thought that they were more into "withdrawals" anyway...
Must...not...make...joke. Errrgh!
Good move. Withdrawls from the sperm bank should be restricted to women only.
That rules out Bubba. He likes unprotected sex, regardless of oral or rape. Not enough money in it for Ketchupman. Gotta be at least 6 digits and he won't lower his standards.
Homosexuality is a birth defect. Why take the chance on passing it along to the next generation.
Better they be permitted to deposit at the bank than to let them mess up an ATM machine.
Maybe they're forgetting the guys who are having unprotected sex in bathhouses *hoping* to get AIDS as some weird badge of honor...
"we know that even the International Red Cross accepts blood from men who have sex with men"
That's a bald faced lie. The question is right there on the form and it will get you deferred. Answering any of those questions in a way that would endanger the blood supply will get you deferred.
Circle jerks must be their form of group savings accounts.
The banks must limit the risk of embezzlement.
An excellent way to put it.
If you see some guy swishing into a sperm bank carrying a note... you just know what that note says.
"I want to make a deposit.. I would tell you, but my mouth is full"
ANS: Fudgecicle.
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