[Lorianne]

I don't know how they would really KNOW who is an "active homosexual" and who isn't.

So there really is no 100% safety mechanism at work here for blood donations. I think they ask you and it's the honor system for your answer.

[Paleo Conservative]

I don't know how they would really KNOW who is an "active homosexual" and who isn't.

My blood bank doesn't take any blood from any man who has had "sexual relations" with another man since 1977.

[cpdiii]

Yes it is the honor system. I can no longer give blood because I have worked in Sub Sahara Africa. That is the rule along with many other rules, with no exceptions.

Blood should be a gift of life, not a hidden killer! My brother died of Hep B. He did not sleep with men nor shoot drugs. It was either sex or bad iv products back in the early 60s before they had the test for Hep B antibodies.

To put it bluntly, if given the choice of taking a unit of blood from a person with a known high risk of HIV lifestyle or your husband or wife, what is your choice for the unit of blood you run into your vein or your child's vein.

That was not a hard question, was it?