Federal Ban on "Gay" Blood to be Reconsidered

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cbus4life

Ignorant

2,849 posts
May 26, 2010 3:14 PM
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/25/gay.blood.donation.ban/index.html?hpt=C2

I'm not for it, if only because i don't want to catch the GAY!!!!!!!!!

But, seriously, i'm kinda confused by the ban in the first place...if a gay man wants to give blood, can't he just tell the people taking the blood that he isn't gay? Seems simple.

Kinda defeats the purpose of the ban in the first place, IMO.
May 26, 2010 3:14pm
Little Danny's avatar

Little Danny

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4,288 posts
May 26, 2010 3:17 PM
Don't ask, Don't tell? HAHA.
May 26, 2010 3:17pm
Writerbuckeye's avatar

Writerbuckeye

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4,745 posts
May 26, 2010 5:11 PM
I'd rather they continue to be overly cautious on accepting blood donations.

I'm a cancer survivor and can't give -- nor would I even think about it.

There are some folks who, because of past illnesses or potential exposures due to high risk behaviors simply should excuse themselves from the pool.

Yes, I know we have testing now for all kinds of stuff, including HIV, but those tests aren't infallible.
May 26, 2010 5:11pm
sleeper's avatar

sleeper

Legend

27,879 posts
May 26, 2010 5:47 PM
Butt sex = AIDs

I'll pass.
May 26, 2010 5:47pm
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bigkahuna

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4,454 posts
May 26, 2010 8:06 PM
I think this is kind of ridiculous that gay men can't donate blood, however you can't argue with numbers.

My 2 questions are what about women who have sex with gay men, or the children of gay men?

Also, what about lesbians? I didn't read anything about them in the article.
May 26, 2010 8:06pm
ts1227's avatar

ts1227

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12,319 posts
May 26, 2010 8:43 PM
I was surprised to see that gay men can never give blood, but if you fuck a hooker apparently the AIDS you get from them will go away in a year because you can give blood after that long...
May 26, 2010 8:43pm
C

cbus4life

Ignorant

2,849 posts
May 26, 2010 8:56 PM
Gay AIDS is 10x stronger than the other forms.
May 26, 2010 8:56pm
Writerbuckeye's avatar

Writerbuckeye

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May 26, 2010 9:49 PM
bigkahuna wrote: I think this is kind of ridiculous that gay men can't donate blood, however you can't argue with numbers.

My 2 questions are what about women who have sex with gay men, or the children of gay men?

Also, what about lesbians? I didn't read anything about them in the article.
Gay men don't tend to have sex with women -- thus the whole "gay" thing. And do these children of gay men have sex with them? The likely answer is no, so therefore you have your answer.

By the way, lesbians have the lowest incidence of HIV and other STDs of just about any group you can find, short of nuns. Their blood pool would be among the safest in the world.
May 26, 2010 9:49pm
I

I Wear Pants

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16,223 posts
May 26, 2010 10:15 PM
^^^ If the gay person had AIDS so would their children if I remember correctly how that disease works.
May 26, 2010 10:15pm
j_crazy's avatar

j_crazy

7 gram rocks. how i roll.

8,372 posts
May 26, 2010 10:18 PM
call me naive, but i didn't know such a ban existed.
May 26, 2010 10:18pm
majorspark's avatar

majorspark

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May 26, 2010 10:22 PM
I Wear Pants wrote: ^^^ If the gay person had AIDS so would their children if I remember correctly how that disease works.
The only way a gay man could pass it on to his children is if his infected sperm were used to impregnate a female. It isn't automatic LOL.
May 26, 2010 10:22pm
majorspark's avatar

majorspark

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5,122 posts
May 26, 2010 10:23 PM
j_crazy wrote: call me naive, but i didn't know such a ban existed.
Until today I had no Idea this ban existed either.
May 26, 2010 10:23pm
ptown_trojans_1's avatar

ptown_trojans_1

Moderator

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May 26, 2010 10:48 PM
majorspark wrote:
j_crazy wrote: call me naive, but i didn't know such a ban existed.
Until today I had no Idea this ban existed either.
I didn't either.
Don't see a need for it to continue. We usually need all the blood we can get from all people who can give.
May 26, 2010 10:48pm
Writerbuckeye's avatar

Writerbuckeye

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4,745 posts
May 26, 2010 11:00 PM
I Wear Pants wrote: ^^^ If the gay person had AIDS so would their children if I remember correctly how that disease works.
You are so woefully ill-informed it's not even funny.

Almost all children of infected mothers today can be born without the disease by treating the moms with AZT before the birth occurs, using care during delivery, and by treating the child as a newborn.

Even without any treatment, only one of three children of HIV infected moms are born with the disease -- and that number as I noted above as been significantly decreased.
May 26, 2010 11:00pm
I

I Wear Pants

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16,223 posts
May 26, 2010 11:20 PM
I'm sorry I'm not up to date on the treatment of aids in regards to mothers and their impending children. Please, forgive me for this grave mistake.

The ban is stupid. Test their blood just like we do for everyone.
May 26, 2010 11:20pm
Glory Days's avatar

Glory Days

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May 26, 2010 11:23 PM
if you receive gay blood, do you also become gay? all kidding aside, dont they test the blood anyway? if it's bad, just toss it out right?
May 26, 2010 11:23pm
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fan_from_texas

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2,693 posts
May 26, 2010 11:25 PM
The ban exists because of much higher HIV rates among gay men than among straight men. Tests for HIV aren't always accurate (or at least they haven't been historically, and I don' tknow if that has changed). High risk groups have always been banned from giving blood at any blood drive where I've worked--including gays, people who have sex for money or drugs, people who have been exposed to CJ, people who have lived in Africa for certain periods of time, etc.
May 26, 2010 11:25pm
majorspark's avatar

majorspark

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May 26, 2010 11:25 PM
Glory Days wrote: if it's bad, just toss it out right?
Only if it is pink.
May 26, 2010 11:25pm
F

fan_from_texas

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2,693 posts
May 26, 2010 11:26 PM
Glory Days wrote: if you receive gay blood, do you also become gay? all kidding aside, dont they test the blood anyway? if it's bad, just toss it out right?
The tests aren't 100% accurate, and there are often errors. Some people try to donate blood for a "free" HIV test. With all the potential risks, most private blood banks don't want to chance it.
May 26, 2010 11:26pm
Glory Days's avatar

Glory Days

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May 26, 2010 11:27 PM
fan_from_texas wrote: The ban exists because of much higher HIV rates among gay men than among straight men. Tests for HIV aren't always accurate (or at least they haven't been historically, and I don' tknow if that has changed). High risk groups have always been banned from giving blood at any blood drive where I've worked--including gays, people who have sex for money or drugs, people who have been exposed to CJ, people who have lived in Africa for certain periods of time, etc.
yeah, military personnel cant give blood for a year i think after a deployment.
May 26, 2010 11:27pm
majorspark's avatar

majorspark

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May 26, 2010 11:29 PM
fan_from_texas wrote: The ban exists because of much higher HIV rates among gay men than among straight men. Tests for HIV aren't always accurate (or at least they haven't been historically, and I don' tknow if that has changed). High risk groups have always been banned from giving blood at any blood drive where I've worked--including gays, people who have sex for money or drugs, people who have been exposed to CJ, people who have lived in Africa for certain periods of time, etc.
I understand the percentages and increased risks, but how can a ban like this really be enforced effectively? Are blood takers not relying on the honor of the donor?
May 26, 2010 11:29pm
Glory Days's avatar

Glory Days

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May 26, 2010 11:30 PM
fan_from_texas wrote:
Glory Days wrote: if you receive gay blood, do you also become gay? all kidding aside, dont they test the blood anyway? if it's bad, just toss it out right?
The tests aren't 100% accurate, and there are often errors. Some people try to donate blood for a "free" HIV test. With all the potential risks, most private blood banks don't want to chance it.
yeah, but that could apply to anyone and for example assuming someone who just slept with a hooker is going to admit that. and to solve the "free test" problem. make a new policy, the donor will not be told whether or not his/her blood was accepted.
May 26, 2010 11:30pm
J

jmog

Senior Member

6,567 posts
May 27, 2010 12:09 AM
Those of you who are saying "well its tested anyway, so they should be allowed to donate" have no clue how the blood donation system/testing works.

As FFT said, its not just gay men that are not allowed, anyone that is in the "high risk" category of any kind. Sleeping with hookers, doing IV drugs, being in Africa for a certain amount of time, blood transfusions from quite a few European countries, etc.

As has been said, the tests aren't infallible, so please, by all means, in case I ever need a blood transfusion, keep the high risk people from donating.
May 27, 2010 12:09am
I

I Wear Pants

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May 27, 2010 12:23 AM
fan_from_texas wrote:
Glory Days wrote: if you receive gay blood, do you also become gay? all kidding aside, dont they test the blood anyway? if it's bad, just toss it out right?
The tests aren't 100% accurate, and there are often errors. Some people try to donate blood for a "free" HIV test. With all the potential risks, most private blood banks don't want to chance it.
Aren't there free HIV tests in most cities anyway?
May 27, 2010 12:23am
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bigkahuna

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4,454 posts
May 27, 2010 12:39 AM
What if you wrapped your shit before you stuck it in his pooper?
May 27, 2010 12:39am