Posted on 07/15/2013 2:41:42 PM PDT by dontreadthis
After Marshall Duer-Balkind, 30, exited a blood donation center on Friday morning, he held up a long green form as evidence that he had been rejected as a blood donor.
On the form Duer-Balkind pointed out that section that disqualified him from being a blood donor because of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy that bans men who have sex with men from giving blood.
After Duer-Balkind showed the form to two volunteers from the National Gay Blood Drive demonstration, the volunteers pulled out a red ink pad and stamped Rejected on his forearm.
The stamp was proof that Duer-Balkind had taken part in a nationwide demonstration to protest the FDA policy, which bans men who have sex with men from donating blood, since they are considered at a higher risk for having HIV.
I think its an absolutely ridiculous and antiquated policy, said Duer-Balkind, who had come to participate in the demonstration during a vacation in New York.
There were more than 50 demonstrations planned as part of the National Gay Blood Drive in various U.S. cities on Friday. The drive was planned to help draw attention to the number of potential blood donors who are automatically disqualified due to their sexual orientation. In addition to men who have sex with men, women are disqualified from giving blood if within the last 12 months they have had sex with a man who at any point since 1977 has sex with another man.
(Excerpt) Read more at bighealthreport.com ...
I hear ya.A nurse I used to work with in a Boston hospital’s ER contracted AIDS *and* Hep C from a needle stick during a code.Needle sticks are,unfortunately,pretty common in hospitals...particularly in high intensity areas like the ER,ICU and OR.
Oh, but if anyone smokes or is overweight insurance companies need to know. Naah, no double standards here.
This was back when it was still illegal.
I resigned the day Clinton made it optional.
Now usurper Obama is doing his best to make it mandatory.
Autologous donations can only be stored for 60 days. After that, the blood has to be discarded.
I stored my own blood for my surgery. Yes, you can donate your own and request it. My doctor insisted that I do an autologous donation. I saw the pints myself in the OR.
Yup - remember Ryan White? The gay community wanted to make him the poster boy for AIDS discrimination - a young white straight boy who got AIDS. They were trying to argue that ANYONE could get AIDS, so why think AIDS was a “gay” disease?
They never wanted to focus on the fact that he was a hemophiliac who contracted AIDS as a result of a tainted blood transfusion, donated by a gay male.
They want us to share their Russian roulette risk.
I'll do the legwork for you. Assuming "FW" is Fort Worth, here is a quote from nearby Carter BloodCare in Bedford, Texas:
"Q: Can I give blood for myself?
"Yes. It is called autologous donation. Autologous means "self donation" and refers to donating blood for your own surgery. This is a decision that you and your surgeon must make together. An autologous donation can only be drawn with an Autologous Donation Request Form that must be completed and signed by your surgeon. Once the form is completed, you may contact our Special Donations Department at 1-866-525-3378 or Metro 817-412-5308 to schedule an appointment at a Donor Center (Monday - Friday) near you."
frozen cells (as opposed to whole blood) are good for 10 years. However, freezing reduces the quantity of cells post-thaw. So stock up.
Sorry gays - there's all kinds of consequences to your lifestyle choices. Infecting the rest of the population shouldn't be one of those choices that I have to accept.
Remember, it is the recipient/patient that is endangered by the donor. Thus these protestors want the ‘RIGHT’ to potentially ENDANGER (based upon known and statistically-proven lifestyle choices) anonymous recipients for emergency use at a time when their logical decision making is a premium.
As a 100+ Gallon blood donor, I have been turned down many times for a donation at a time when I was outside the parameters. While disappointed I realized that this was the effort by the blood bank / FDA organizations to make the blood donations as safe as possible, rather than as is socially acceptable.
As an aging American, I much prefer the safe is best attitude!
Gay doners should be allowed. The blood that they donate should be givin only to other gays who need blood.
CC
Thanks....interesting that hospitals don’t seem to tell people about it.
professor, you’ve discovered a new blood group: GAY
“he drive was planned to help draw attention to the number of potential blood donors who are automatically disqualified due to their sexual orientation.”
That’s a lie. I’ve given blood many times and no one asks donors a single question about “sexual orientation”. What donors are asked about is sexual behavior. Someone who suffers from SSA disorder can donate all the blood he wants as long as he’s a celibate virgin.
Should have used a branding iron to put “REJECT” on this guy’s forehead.
Thanks for the info. I’d always been told that this was not the case. Good to know it’s possible.
Not relevant to me, but does this mean that active homosexuals can give blood autologously, since the risk to the blood supply is then not an issue? That might be the answer to assuage their demands to donate.
trying times...I think the CIC needs a Code Red!
The question they ask is “if you are male, have you had sex with another male since 1977?” The answer is given in private. They don’t stamp rejected on your body or on any paper. You will be permanently deferred. Only if they take your blood and it is later determined by testing to have H.I.V. Antibodies are you placed into a data base and in some cases, your state Public Health Service is notified.
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