Britain: Gay Men Allowed to Give Blood

[Gerald]

British health officials said Thursday that they would lift a ban on gay men donating blood, as long as their last sexual contact with another man was more than a year earlier. The decision, which reverses a policy adopted in the 1980s, followed a review that found no evidence to support the need for a ban. Other countries, including Australia, Japan, South Africa, Sweden and New Zealand, also allow gay men to donate blood with similar conditions. Canada and the United States prohibit gay men from donating blood.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/wo...ef=todayspaper


Note: September 8, 2011

[ZeeWolf]

What Genus!

[Betonov]

Like it makes a difference if the blood is from gays or from straights

Pathetic

[Sea Demon]

Leftist stupidity at it's finest. Because of course to them the feelings of homosexuals are more important than the safety of the nation's blood supply.

[Gerald]

Old prejudices.

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by Sea Demon

Leftist stupidity at it's finest. Because of course to them the feelings of homosexuals are more important than the safety of the nation's blood supply.

Nations blood supply is in danger from people NOT donating, not wrong people donating.

Do right-wingers think gays have pink blood cells

Plus, if you ever, ever did the right thing and donated blood, you would know that every blood is tested before sent to the bank and if the sample is contaminated in any way the blood is rejected. But you really can't know that until you donate.

[AVGWarhawk]

The decision, which reverses a policy adopted in the 1980s, followed a review that found no evidence to support the need for a ban.

What had cropped up in the 80's that would drive a country to ban blood donations from gays? AIDS maybe?

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Betonov

But you really can't know that until you donate.

I've never donated, but a bit of common sense would say that's what they do.

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

What had cropped up in the 80's that would drive a country to ban blood donations from gays? AIDS maybe?

Gay virus?

[AVGWarhawk]

Gay virus?

At that time, yes. It became a problem for all eventually. AIDS was discovered or first noted case in the early 80's. We knew nothing about it.

http://www.avert.org/aids-history-86.htm

[Growler]

It's my understanding that under certain circumstances, blood can be purified via high-speed centrifugal separation. I'm not entirely sure, though; this understanding was based on the experimental treatment they were going to try with my Mom's leukemia treatment.

[Thomen]

Originally Posted by Betonov

Do right-wingers think gays have pink blood cells

Yes, the ban was stupid, but so was your comment.

The ban was probably not because of some people hating gays, but rather based on what was back then considered a given: namely that STD's and AIDS are prevalent among the gay community and may endanger recipients of blood transfusions.

Recent research however suggests otherwise.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Growler

It's my understanding that under certain circumstances, blood can be purified via high-speed centrifugal separation. I'm not entirely sure, though; this understanding was based on the experimental treatment they were going to try with my Mom's leukemia treatment.

This is how plasma is separated for the platelets I believe.

[AVGWarhawk]

The ban was probably not because of some people hating gays, but rather based on what was back then considered a given: namely that STD's and AIDS are prevalent among the gay community and may endanger recipients of blood transfusions.

Recent research however suggests otherwise.

[Egan]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

At that time, yes. It became a problem for all eventually. AIDS was discovered or first noted case in the early 80's. We knew nothing about it.

http://www.avert.org/aids-history-86.htm

Interesting. I do remember being told that the first ever case was reported to have been way back in 58 or 59, although the diagnosis was only verified in the 80's.

[Growler]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

This is how plasma is separated for the platelets I believe.

I think so, as well - from the way it was described, different elements in the blood settle out at different centrifugal speeds - for instance, my white blood cells would be spun out first, for intravenous delivery to her; three days later, they'd hook me up again and spin out stem cells (after a self-administered treatment program with a drug called Neupogen that targeted the release of stem cells ("granulocytes") into the bloodstream.)

It was a modification of a treatment developed at Hopkins here in Baltimore, and has, apparently, been used to cure the Berlin Patient of both his leukemia and HIV.