[reformedliberal]

Isn't blood tested, independent of whatever the donor states?

And what about Hepatitis? Hep C can cause liver cancer eventually. I know people dying today or candidates for a liver transplant because of contracting Hep C thru a transfusion decades ago.

[stocksthatgoup]

What a great idea. I think I will buy a freezer.

[Caesar Soze]

The Red Cross screens donations, but cannot detect all HIV tainted blood. For instance, there is a Type O HIV in Africa they don't always detect, so anyone who has received medical treatment from, lived in, or had sex with anyone who lived in a number of African countries are ineligible for blood donation.

The Red Cross says the possibility of getting HIV through a blood transfusion is 1 in 1.5 million. I'm not sure if they're saying 1 in 1.5 million transfused units have HIV, or if some other factor (dirty needle) transmits the HIV.

Allowing gays to openly donate blood would skew the odds somewhat, but I suspect that the benefits would outweigh the costs. I am always receiving unsolicited mail from the Red Cross about urgent shortfalls in our blood supply, but I've never received unsolicited news about HIV in the blood supply (or vCJD, for that matter -- I think the British Beef Ban is bull).

[gidget7]

Absolutely right, not to mention any number of other infections. If you mix feces with blood, you cannot come up with untainted blood. It's really pretty simple!!

Clinton allowed prisoners to give blood in Ark. And sent the blood to Canada, nice!!!