NationStates Jolt Archive

Until rrecently I was unable to give blood due to a blood thinning medicine I was on.

But now I plan to give blood as soon as I am able. Over here, donating blood is free (i.e. you don't get paid for it).

Any other blood donors on the boards?

I need my blood.

I do. I live a couple blocks from the local blood donor clinic, so I don't have a good reason not to.

I need my blood.

For what? Do you have a medical issue or are you just trying to be funny?

Not so much anymore. I think it's more a matter of time constraint than anything else. If nothing else, it's a good way to ensure you can get really drunk. Less blood + more alcohol = higher BAC

Not so much anymore. I think it's more a matter of time constraint than anything else. If nothing else, it's a good way to ensure you can get really drunk. Less blood + more alcohol = higher BAC

In that case I should donate more often.;)

I get nauseated enough giving just enough blood for routine tests from time to time. This is a decision based on my own emotional weakness, not logic. The potential to save a life doesn't outweigh my personal fears; and as selfish as that sounds I don't have a better reason. I never claimed to be an altruist.

For what? Do you have a medical issue or are you just trying to be funny?
I need my blood to live, but mabye thats just me.
and im not 18.

I've donated before. Haven't for a while for medical reasons.

And what's this about getting paid to donate?

I need my blood to live, but mabye thats just me.
and im not 18.

You can still live without half a litre of blood. So technically, you don't need the blood that you would be giving.

Yup, I do. Usually do double reds, which is a kind of nifty process.

First they pull one unit of blood, which is pooled into a centrifuge and spun 'round till the platelets and plasma seperate from the red blood cells. Then they try to take as much of the red blood cell concentrate as they can, and when it's pretty much gone into its little baggy you start getting room-temperature saline solution and your plasma and platelets (also room temperature) pumped back into your vein. It's an odd feeling, getting cold from the inside out. Then they pull another unit, same process.


You end up donating only half as often, because they take twice the number of red blood cells. But you leave with more fluid in your bloodstream than when you arrived :D

I'm not allowed to.

I don't think I can. I have abnormally low blood pressure as it is, and losing even half a liter would probably be very bad for me.

I hate to hijack this thread on behalf of gays... but thanks to George Bush, Its against the law for gay men to give blood any more. Even though a higher percentage of black people have HIV than gay men--- gay men are as a class prohibited from giving blood.

If they prohibited all black men from giving blood, everyone would protest. No class of people should be prohibited.

Sure. Just shy of my second gallon.

Also a bone marrow doner. Actually been called twice but the people decided to try relatives.....

My blood is precious...

...to me.

I have only donated like 10 times. Haven't been in like 6 months though.

I haven't donated recently, as the times the blood drives have occured on campus have been on days when I teach back to back all day and I discover it at the last minute. Next time, however.

Blood Donor here :cool:

It saves a life. There's no good reason not to, if you can.

I hate to hijack this thread on behalf of gays... but thanks to George Bush, Its against the law for gay men to give blood any more. Even though a higher percentage of black people have HIV than gay men--- gay men are as a class prohibited from giving blood.

If they prohibited all black men from giving blood, everyone would protest. No class of people should be prohibited.
That is Bullshit*. If you don't like the lack of protest, organise one. Who do you think does these things?
*Gays not donating is bullshit

I haven't because I'm simply and legally unable to because I am under 16 and am residing in California.

My blood pressure is too low, but as soon as it is more towards normal, I will donate. It's not dangerously low, but it's just below the limit to donate.

Yep. Once. I'm waiting fro them to send me the little letter through twlling me it's my turn again. Knowing my luck, they'll schedule it for the day of an exam!

I've tried to but my blood presure drops too much to fill a full unit. It sucks, wish i could.

I haven't been in a while, but I normally donate regularly. :)

I used to give blood. Now that I'm a sexually active homosexual, though, it's illegal for me to give blood here in Aust.

I don't see why, since the form clearly states that Red Cross screens the blood for HIV and Hep anyway...:headbang:

I suppose I should, but i've never gotten around to it.

They probably wouldn't want my blood anyway. :p

I used to give blood. Now that I'm a sexually active homosexual, though, it's illegal for me to give blood here in Aust.

I don't see why, since the form clearly states that Red Cross screens the blood for HIV and Hep anyway...:headbang:

You're kidding? That's disgusting...I had no idea.

If i'm ever dying one day and they can't get the correct blood to me in time, i'll be mighty annoyed that I might have lived if it weren't for fear of teh gay.

I hate to hijack this thread on behalf of gays... but thanks to George Bush, Its against the law for gay men to give blood any more. Even though a higher percentage of black people have HIV than gay men--- gay men are as a class prohibited from giving blood.

If they prohibited all black men from giving blood, everyone would protest. No class of people should be prohibited.
That's horrific - although not exactly shocking. Would you expect anything less from the Bush administration.
I gave blood for the first time a couple of monthes ago. It was great! Not only did I get that warm fuzzy feeling from doing a good thing, all the volunteers at the blood drive were convinced I was going to faint because it was my first time and plied me with tea, squash and custard creams. It was magical. I even got a sticker!

I agve blood as soon as i could (16 and healthy) but yeah, if i have sex with someone of the same gender, i can't give blood for 10 years.... So i may end up not being a donor.

I give blood regularly. Anything to spread my invasive goofballian DNA around. :)

If you get a transfusion and you start looking at mud pits longingly and feel an almost irrepressable urge to tackle bushes, you might just have gotten some of mine. :)

I don't like to share.

Due to some medication, I am on, I am not allowed to donate blood, but I will as soon as the medicine is no longer needed.

I dontate blood. And I have HIV. I want to help as many people as I can before I die.

Wtf?!?!

I give blood regularly. Anything to spread my invasive goofballian DNA around. :)

If you get a transfusion and you start looking at mud pits longingly and feel an almost irrepressable urge to tackle bushes, you might just have gotten some of mine. :)

I wonder what would happen to a vampire that drank your blood. :D

One can live with 1/3 of one's blood taken away. But if 1/2 of one's blood is lost or removed, it is fatal.

Call me a hipocrite for making that point and then this one, but:
I want all my blood and I don't think I'd feel healthy if some was removed.

But then again I wouldn't feel healthy with someone else's blood in me either.
I'd still say yes to a transfusion if I needed it though.

Donor here.

Nearly 40 donations, so far. I've been going since I turned 18-or-whatever-age-it-was, with just a few missed sessions (irregular while at Uni, and a gap after my appendictomy, which could have put paid to my donations entirely if I'd have had to be givne blood for any reason[1]).

Mum still gives (I think she uses iron supplements to keep her the safe-side of the anemic-threshold), but Dad was already approaching maximum age when he was suspended from donating after blood-thinners were used (to correct a problem due to extended inactivity during a lengthy and (it turns out unnecessary, but safe side and all that) hospital stay after an unfounded heart-scare). He was taken off and left off.


And to those who have not yet decided whether they want to... On my first donation I got up too quickly (probably, IIRC, quicker than I would have normally, to show how well I was dealing with it) and felt a bit light-headed, but since then no problems.

I used to consider the local anaesthetic, but don't bother these days. You get more pain from the 'Hancockesque' thumb-prick test than from any properly administered donation needle.

If you have hairy arms lads (or lasses?) then you might want to shave the donation area a bit, if the plasters you get are difficult to remove from hairy arms... ;)

Other than that, it's quite a relaxing thing to do.

[1] I remarked, the other day at my last donation, that it was funny that we here in the UK don't like blood form people from the US (West Nile Virus) while there's a reciprocal dislike of BSE-possibilities from those over the Pond. (I doubt the incidence of either is that great, to be honest, but you have to draw lines, as with all other grounds-for-refusal. Maybe you could relax a few of the refusals and rely on the "no-one who has received blood may donate" rule to prevent concentrating and enhancing threats through donation vectors...)

My blood is the most common type there is so I never really thought about it - however, I'm signing up as a bone marrow donor as soon as I have time.

I dontate blood. And I have HIV. I want to help as many people as I can before I die.
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One can live with 1/3 of one's blood taken away. But if 1/2 of one's blood is lost or removed, it is fatal.

Call me a hipocrite for making that point and then this one, but:
I want all my blood and I don't think I'd feel healthy if some was removed.

But then again I wouldn't feel healthy with someone else's blood in me either.
I'd still say yes to a transfusion if I needed it though.

You only lose 1/8 of your blood when you donate and you'll regenerate it within 24 hours. If you're able to donate and would accept a transfusion then it's just plain selfish not to.

I just turned 17 in December so I've only given once so far.

I've given once, but there's no nearby clinics otherwise I would give more often. I have a rare blood type (B-) so I should probably make more of an effort.

I'm a fit 20 y.o. male so I give blood regularly. If you're afraid of needles, I spit on you.

I used to give blood regularly (yup we give and don't get paid for it in the UK, bar a tea or coffee and a couple of bisuits) but since I will have received blood during an appendectomy and now take medication daily to control a medical condition, it is now illegal for me to donate blood in the UK.

My thanks to all those who give blood regularly. You helped save my life and hopefully the 15 pints of blood I gave helped save other peoples lives. :cool:

I'm 18, bisexual, and a virgin.

So I've been giving blood as regularly as possible since I turned 17 (the limit in Britain), because I believe in paying back any potential blood-debt I may owe to society (due to an awesomecycle accident or whatever...).

But when i meet that special guy (<3) I will no longer be allowed to, but by that time I would have repaid any potential debt and so I'm fine with that.

I thought about donating blood during the last blood drive, but I don't remember how long it is you're not allowed to give blood after being in an area where the presence of malaria is confirmed. At least, that's how I rationalized my laziness.

I don't give blood, I take it.

I can't because I'm diabetic.

I live in Ireland. Being sexually active and gay, I'm not allowed. :headbang:

I'm too young

Klonmelia']I live in Ireland. Being sexually active and gay, I'm not allowed. :headbang:

is gay blood not as useful then?

I do, but not often :/ I'm very tired after doing it, so I can't do it during the week (I've to work...), so I only can on saturday morning (the only time during the week-end where it's open), and since I'm very busy most saturdays, it doesn't happen often :/ But I'll try to do it more often...

Until rrecently I was unable to give blood due to a blood thinning medicine I was on.

But now I plan to give blood as soon as I am able. Over here, donating blood is free (i.e. you don't get paid for it).

Any other blood donors on the boards?
Every two months.

I had a year off after I returned from the malaria-infested subcontinent of India, but as soon as I was allowed to start donating again, I did.

is gay blood not as useful then?
It's considered too risky, I think.

is gay blood not as useful then?Right or wrong, rules have been made that exclude this person.

Not sure if this covers/mirrors Ireland, but here (https://secure.blood.co.uk/c11_cant.asp) are the UK exclusion rules.

Since I started donating I've seen the rules change (CJD-worries were unknown back in the 80s, but HIV ones had recently cropped up[1]) and it's all to do with risk factors... 'Attending' a prostitute is risky, being one more so. (Thus the discrepancy between "if you have ever been a prostitute" and "if you have hadsex with a prostitute in the last 12 months"?)

On the whole, they have to balance caution with need, and I suppose I'm lucky that they allowed me back to donate after my apendectomy (I definitely did not receive blood, apparently) after the statutary wait, and that I've not been to the US since the WNV threat.


[1] I don't know when the "no blood from those donated to 1980-onwards" came in, but it covers a multitude of sins, from those that might have contracted HIV from pre-HIV-screening donations[2] (though I suspect that there are few with HIV contracted from back then that have not discovered their condition, even if they're not living with AIDS) to the worries about CJD-transmission in more modern times and "The Next Big Thing" that comes along (or has come along, unseen) that we don't know about yet...
[2] Screening for that occurs these days, but it is possible that some contaminated blood products might go through the system faster than the current HIV tests can show they should have been withheld. Hence why you shoudln't give blood as a substitute for a proper test (much aside from the fact that you're going to need proper councilling, and you shouldn't put that pburden on the NBS).

Right or wrong, rules have been made that exclude this person.

Not sure if this covers/mirrors Ireland, but here (https://secure.blood.co.uk/c11_cant.asp) are the UK exclusion rules.

Since I started donating I've seen the rules change (CJD-worries were unknown back in the 80s, but HIV ones had recently cropped up[1]) and it's all to do with risk factors... 'Attending' a prostitute is risky, being one more so. (Thus the discrepancy between "if you have ever been a prostitute" and "if you have hadsex with a prostitute in the last 12 months"?)

On the whole, they have to balance caution with need, and I suppose I'm lucky that they allowed me back to donate after my apendectomy (I definitely did not receive blood, apparently) after the statutary wait, and that I've not been to the US since the WNV threat.


[1] I don't know when the "no blood from those donated to 1980-onwards" came in, but it covers a multitude of sins, from those that might have contracted HIV from pre-HIV-screening donations[2] (though I suspect that there are few with HIV contracted from back then that have not discovered their condition, even if they're not living with AIDS) to the worries about CJD-transmission in more modern times and "The Next Big Thing" that comes along (or has come along, unseen) that we don't know about yet...
[2] Screening for that occurs these days, but it is possible that some contaminated blood products might go through the system faster than the current HIV tests can show they should have been withheld. Hence why you shoudln't give blood as a substitute for a proper test (much aside from the fact that you're going to need proper councilling, and you shouldn't put that pburden on the NBS).

er that's well long.

how much blood do they take?

how much blood do they take?

Depends where you are, probably. In France, it's 400ml.

Depends where you are, probably. In France, it's 400ml.

do you know how much they take in england?

Get this... when I last went to donate as I had done many times before, I found out that here in the USA I am not ALLOWED to give blood. Not because I am a gay man (I am not, and agree that it is a very stupid restriction) or on medication (again not) but because I spent the school year of 1986/87 in England.

Huh? You might well ask. I certainly did. Turns out that recently passed regulations here in the US say if you have spent more than three months in England since 1987 you are ineligible to donate blood for fear of mad cow disease. Even the folks at the blood donor center agreed with me that it was a dumb regulation, but they have to follow the rules too.

So there you go. I WANT to donate blood... but apparently I am a risk to
American cows if I do. Even though it has been 19 years and I have not shown any signs of being mad. Or a cow.

how much blood do they take?
In Ireland, 1 pint, which is 568ml

Get this... when I last went to donate as I had done many times before, I found out that here in the USA I am not ALLOWED to give blood. Not because I am a gay man (I am not, and agree that it is a very stupid restriction) or on medication (again not) but because I spent the school year of 1986/87 in England.

Huh? You might well ask. I certainly did. Turns out that recently passed regulations here in the US say if you have spent more than three months in England since 1987 you are ineligible to donate blood for fear of mad cow disease. Even the folks at the blood donor center agreed with me that it was a dumb regulation, but they have to follow the rules too.

So there you go. I WANT to donate blood... but apparently I am a risk to
American cows if I do. Even though it has been 19 years and I have not shown any signs of being mad. Or a cow.

is mad cow disease still going on?

you might be mad and just not realise...

I would give but I'm not quite old enough yet. Our school encourages it, they have a bus that takes blood from people. I don't think its compulsory. Yet.

Not so much anymore. I think it's more a matter of time constraint than anything else. If nothing else, it's a good way to ensure you can get really drunk. Less blood + more alcohol = higher BAC
Last time I pulled that stunt, I don't remember how I got where I was the next morning. Although I do remember that all of my female friends were terrified that I would die and wind up in the hospital, which I found greatly amusing.

Thanks for reminding me. I'm 20, and I've never given blood before, but there's no good reason for me not to. I just called up Canadian blood services and scheduled an appointment to donate for my first time next Thursday.

I'm at 100 donations and counting.I have O-Negative,Code N. I've been giving since i could,there's no reason for me not to,an hour of your time and you get cookies and juice:) It's a selfless act and makes me feel good.

I'll donate the very day homosexuals are allowed to, just like marrying.

yes, at least twice a year

do you know how much they take in england?All questions by the English (British) are, I suspect, to be found on www.blood.co.uk. (As are all questions of the British system by those not of our realm...)

(And to whoever said my last message was long... It wasn't particualrly long. I edited a whole lot of specifics out of it.)

I would love to give blood.

But, like others, I'm a dirty fag with awful, dirty blood so I'm not allowed. I can only assume that the huge, expensive television ad campaign claiming they have a critical shortage of blood is being run just for kicks.

All questions by the English (British) are, I suspect, to be found on www.blood.co.uk. (As are all questions of the British system by those not of our realm...)

(And to whoever said my last message was long... It wasn't particualrly long. I edited a whole lot of specifics out of it.)

ah, cheers. the other thing was quite long

I am forbidden to donate blood, which is a weight off my mind i suppose, if not my conscience.

I would love to give blood.

But, like others, I'm a dirty fag with awful, dirty blood so I'm not allowed. I can only assume that the huge, expensive television ad campaign claiming they have a critical shortage of blood is being run just for kicks.

Weird that I never heard this. Is it only gay mem that n't donate or are the people where I go just looking the other way since i've donating there for so many years? Damn, another thing to complain abut to my congressmen.

Well the trouble with donating blood is that blood is both a very precious commodity and a dangerous conduit for desease, especially as it is being delivered to those with the weakest of immune systems.

The medical profession needs to lower restriction to increase blood supply, but also keep them high to protect the patients from mass blood infections as have been seen in the past. The question is just what is worse ? Lack of blood or the occasional few hundred people getting hepetitis... i cant spell that... my point stands.

Weird that I never heard this. Is it only gay mem that n't donate or are the people where I go just looking the other way since i've donating there for so many years? Damn, another thing to complain abut to my congressmen.

Well, I can only speak for Australia. I'm not sure what the rules are over Stateside.

Obviously, you have to tell them you're a sexually active homosexual otherwise they aren't likely to know but around here, if you're honest on the form, your blood is refused.

Still, one would think that considering the blood is screened and that the organisations are whining and whining about how critically short of blood they are, they wouldn't be so quick to knock back blood, even if it does come from a yucky gay man.

Maybe they're afraid that if someone gets a transfusion of gay blood, they'll become gay. Kind of like vampires. Gay vampires.

Sorry my keyboard is acting up. I am gay woman not man and never had trouble. Thats why I asked if the ruling was only for men.

Sorry my keyboard is acting up. I am gay woman not man and never had trouble. Thats why I asked if the ruling was only for men.

No worries for gay women, I believe.

Maybe they're afraid that if someone gets a transfusion of gay blood, they'll become gay. Kind of like vampires. Gay vampires.
no it has more to do with the fact that aoutorities see gays has danger group for aids, and prefer not check every blood test because it is expensive.
in israel, there are also questions about visit other states or birth state of you and your parents (and some other danger groups).
by the way, I donate blood.

No worries for gay women, I believe.
Thank You

No problems with gay women because they are the least likely to have an STD, out of everybody.

I give blood. I've only given blood once but plan on giving twice a year or so.

Until rrecently I was unable to give blood due to a blood thinning medicine I was on.

But now I plan to give blood as soon as I am able. Over here, donating blood is free (i.e. you don't get paid for it).

Any other blood donors on the boards?
They don't want my blood. :(

They don't want my blood. :(
Why not?

Why not?
Buncha reasons. I'm anemic (chronic medical condition), but even if I wasn't they still wouldn't let me donate because I'm small. Where I live, you have to be a certain weight to be able to donate blood, because they want to be able to take a standardized quantity from each donor, and if you're smaller than the minimum size it would be dangerous for you to give that much blood.

I do

Buncha reasons. I'm anemic (chronic medical condition), but even if I wasn't they still wouldn't let me donate because I'm small. Where I live, you have to be a certain weight to be able to donate blood, because they want to be able to take a standardized quantity from each donor, and if you're smaller than the minimum size it would be dangerous for you to give that much blood.
at least you fail on objective reasons as health, and not because of your race or something.

Buncha reasons. I'm anemic (chronic medical condition), but even if I wasn't they still wouldn't let me donate because I'm small. Where I live, you have to be a certain weight to be able to donate blood, because they want to be able to take a standardized quantity from each donor, and if you're smaller than the minimum size it would be dangerous for you to give that much blood.
Aww that sucks.
Here's a fluffle to make you feel better. :fluffle:

Not old enough, although its likely I will when im old enough

Aww that sucks.
Here's a fluffle to make you feel better. :fluffle:
Yeah *pout* it sucks. Nobody will stick me with needles and drain my blood. Life's hard for me.

at least you fail on objective reasons as health, and not because of your race or something.
Well, I should add that I have protested at Red Cross blood drives for years, and have encouraged my friends to refuse to donate because of their discrimination against gay donors.

Well, I should add that I have protested at Red Cross blood drives for years, and have encouraged my friends to refuse to donate because of their discrimination against gay donors.
it isn't just gay donors, at least as I know. I still think it is honorable thing even if it isn't perfect.

Well, I should add that I have protested at Red Cross blood drives for years, and have encouraged my friends to refuse to donate because of their discrimination against gay donors.

Unfortunately that does not hurt the Red Cross, it only hurts the people who need the blood. And it is not the Red Cross that sets the regulations, but rather the government. So protest against the government instead, but do give blood.

I would like to ask anyone out there not to cause a big fuss, or protest or lobby their representitives about gay men not being able to donate blood.

I know it sucks, and that it is annoying. But it is not done out of homophobia, (indeed, I'm sure there are as many gays within the blood service as inside of it), the decision was taken after serious consideration and the conclusion was made that it would be an 'unprofitable' use of their time and resources to screen the statistically higher risk homosexual blood. While I'm sure your motives are good the fact is that twisting the blood service's arm to force gay donations would waste their time and ultimately be detrimental to the health of the nation.

Nothing personal though, boychik :). Besides, there are many other things you can do to help that don't involve bleeding into a bag.

I would like to ask anyone out there not to cause a big fuss, or protest or lobby their representitives about gay men not being able to donate blood.

I know it sucks, and that it is annoying. But it is not done out of homophobia, (indeed, I'm sure there are as many gays within the blood service as inside of it), the decision was taken after serious consideration and the conclusion was made that it would be an 'unprofitable' use of their time and resources to screen the statistically higher risk homosexual blood. While I'm sure your motives are good the fact is that twisting the blood service's arm to force gay donations would waste their time and ultimately be detrimental to the health of the nation.

Nothing personal though, boychik :). Besides, there are many other things you can do to help that don't involve bleeding into a bag.

Ok, so I won't complain about that. Lots of other good things to write to them about.

http://www.bloodservices.ca/CentreApps/Internet/UW_V502_MainEngine.nsf/resources/RODs/$file/CBS-ROD-2006-02-06-en.pdf

That is the donar questonaire for Canada.


A guy that has had sex with another guy even one time since 1977 gets eliminated. As does a woman who has, in the last twelve months had sex with a guy who had sex with another guy since 1977. Or you have had sex with anyone from/in Africa since 1977. So does anyone who has paid money or drugs for sex, or accepted money or drugs for sex, in the last 12 months. I hate answering the questions each time, it always reminds me just how dull my life is. ;)

Unfortunately that does not hurt the Red Cross, it only hurts the people who need the blood. And it is not the Red Cross that sets the regulations, but rather the government. So protest against the government instead, but do give blood.
No it doesn't, if people choose instead to donate through non-discriminatory organizations. Which I fully support and encourage. :)

gay donars are high risk. they are more likely to have AIDS (in developed world). FACT. u can NOT deny that

im phobic of needles and blood. so gutted for me... i wish i wasnt tho, then id probably give boold

I would like to ask anyone out there not to cause a big fuss, or protest or lobby their representitives about gay men not being able to donate blood.

I know it sucks, and that it is annoying. But it is not done out of homophobia, (indeed, I'm sure there are as many gays within the blood service as inside of it), the decision was taken after serious consideration and the conclusion was made that it would be an 'unprofitable' use of their time and resources to screen the statistically higher risk homosexual blood. While I'm sure your motives are good the fact is that twisting the blood service's arm to force gay donations would waste their time and ultimately be detrimental to the health of the nation.

Sadly, this is simply a lie. Particularly since the fastest-growing populations of HIV-positive individuals are STILL allowed to donate blood (hint: these populations are not gay men).

It's got nothing to do with the expense these days, and I say this as somebody who works in a medical center. I have coworkers who use blood screening methods every day. The expense is totally outweighed by the additional benefit that could be reaped from having those donations.

Also, remember, this is all about disclosure. They will take a gay man's blood, just not if he ADMITS he is gay. So if being gay is such a risk factor, all they're doing is encouraging people to not notify them if they have this risk factor.

why do gay people complain when they can just lie anyway? surely lying to give blood to a dying man is a good thing.

anyone who has aids but gives blood tho is evil, and should go to hell. hehe duh

I've only given blood once, when the Red Cross set up a blood donor clinic at my school. I got all the donuts i could eat after, it was awesome. I'll probly donate again.

Giving blood is a duty I think we all share... its just helpin where you can... if you are afraid of needles or cant give for medical reasons then ok youer excused...but fi you can why wouldnt you.

I try when I can.

I have never given blood before, simply because I haven't been old enough until just recently. I might give blood eventually, but only in order to get paid. I don't like needles very much.

Every time I have a chance I do. I'm in the Navy though, so I'm helping out peoiple I work with theoretically.

why do gay people complain when they can just lie anyway? surely lying to give blood to a dying man is a good thing.

anyone who has aids but gives blood tho is evil, and should go to hell. hehe duh

Being gay doesn't exclude one from donating blood. Engaging in anal intercourse excludes one from donating blood. If you're one of those people that thinks homosexual sex is exclusively fellatio, then you are quite elgible to donate blood.

Not yet, events have conspired to somehow keep me from going on donation days, but I fully intend to as soon as possible.

I will as soon as I'm old enough (O baby, universal donor)

I hate to hijack this thread on behalf of gays... but thanks to George Bush, Its against the law for gay men to give blood any more. Even though a higher percentage of black people have HIV than gay men--- gay men are as a class prohibited from giving blood.

If they prohibited all black men from giving blood, everyone would protest. No class of people should be prohibited.

Sorry, not true about Bush.

It has been FDA policy since the 1980s, according to an HIV website. (http://www.thebody.com/gmhc/issues/novdec00/blood.html)"Gay men, in all practical senses, are prohibited from donating blood in the United States because of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy first formulated in the mid-1980s, when the HIV epidemic was new, the nation gripped in panic, and HIV testing still in development. "

Of course, maybe Bush is responsible for your ignorance...:headbang:

Well, I should add that I have protested at Red Cross blood drives for years, and have encouraged my friends to refuse to donate because of their discrimination against gay donors.

You know what, encouraging them to refuse to donate blood is a great idea, that will definitely bring more blood to people who need it. The "additional benefits" (are there really any???) of your boycott definitely outweigh the costs (your friends not donating neccessary blood), seeing as helping people towards the greater good is what seems to be important to you. [/SARCASM]

And as it was just so well put by Pasture Pastry, it is not a discrimination against gay donors, but against anyone who has anal sex with a man since '77.

Edit: And yes I regularly donate blood. One of my best friends goes with me and we race to see who can fill up the pint bad fastest.

Yes, I give blood. They need lots, I have lots, why not share?

I hate to hijack this thread on behalf of gays... but thanks to George Bush, Its against the law for gay men to give blood any more. Even though a higher percentage of black people have HIV than gay men--- gay men are as a class prohibited from giving blood.

If they prohibited all black men from giving blood, everyone would protest. No class of people should be prohibited.

While I'm no fan of GWB, you can't give him credit for *every* lousy decision. The Red Cross' policy of not accepting blood donations from any man who's had sex with another man since the late 1970's (not expressly-- but tacitly discriminatory towards gay men) predates the Bush administration. Supposedly it's because we're a higher-risk group for HIV, but that's a stupid case to make a) as long as they test ALL blood they collect anyway; and b) given that it's a blanket disqualification-- they don't make any distinction between safe or unsafe sex, sex between two men who've never had sex with anyone else before in their lives, sex between two men who've tested HIV-negative, it's just "sex with another man so much as once? sorry, we don't want any of your icky blood. No, not even if you're O-. No, not even if you're always safe except for those couple of times with your boyfriend who was a virgin before he met you and you've both been monogamous ever since."

Mind you, I hate needles anyway and I'm partial to keeping my blood inside my body where it was meant to be. So while I find the ban distasteful and offensive and I oppose the narrow thinking behind it, if they don't want my blood I don't feel too terribly deprived.

I've donated blood numerous times. Quite a bit has been donated when working in fabrications class. Donated some this last Friday to the garage door. Donated a bucket full a few weekends ago when I had gone tree hunting (don't ask).

Now that the silly part is over, no I haven't donated blood to the hospitals, Red Cross deal. I had the opportunity earlier this year but didn't because I didn't find out till after the whole thing was over that I could have.

I dont give blood, this could be considerd very selfish and mean but i'll post it anyway:
If someone needs body parts so badly that they will die, they should be left to die, keeping the weak alive is against evoloution, so its unnatural.

I dont give blood, this could be considerd very selfish and mean but i'll post it anyway:
If someone needs body parts so badly that they will die, they should be left to die, keeping the weak alive is against evoloution, so its unnatural.

Keeping more members of our species alive is hardly unnatural. Protecting and ensuring the continued life and health of one's species is about the most natural thing you can do.

Keeping more members of our species alive is hardly unnatural. Protecting and ensuring the continued life and health of one's species is about the most natural thing you can do.

The carrying capacity of the earth for humanity is about 2.5 billion, there are about 6 billion humans.
Start killing off the weaker ones and the planet may start to cope better.

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And damaging yourself to help others isnt natural

The carrying capacity of the earth for humanity is about 2.5 billion, there are about 6 billion humans.
Start killing off the weaker ones and the planet may start to cope better.

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And damaging yourself to help others isnt natural

The amount of blood taken does nothing to damage you. That's why they don't take much.