FDA Ban-Gay Males

[Dante]

Should the FDA lift the ban to allow sexually active gay men to donate blood?

[MoveAlong]

yes!
The FDA should prevent anyone who has an STD from donating blood. All persons willing to donate blood should get a blood test to make certain.

Questions should be asked in a personal survey whether they are sexually active and if there's a risk of them getting an STD. They should also make the blood tests easier and quicker so the person can donate blood or they can schedule an appointment. A blood test should be done frequently, if possible every visit.

I know it sounds harsh, but this isn't just for gay people. Straight people get HIV/AIDS too...

[redcar]

The Irish Blood Transfusion Board (IBTS) are the same. If you are a male and have had sex with another male you are forbiddon for life. Its totally fucked up. I think that gay men are the most safe when it comes to sex, because of the HIV/Aids risk.

Although the IBTS has made some major errors in the past. In the 70's and 80's they let infected blood products be used in transfusions. 1000's of people were found to have contracted Hepatitis C. This came out in the 90's and was a massive scandal and it cost the IBTS in the region of half a billion euro.

[serial-thrilla]

i dunno if they should. although beggers cant really be choosers, i dont think that a large portion of the population wants "gay blood."

[Pioneer92]

somehow i think that in a life or death situation it wouldnt really matter if the blood was from a gay person or not

and i really doubt theyd have a separate stockpile marked "CAUTION: GAY BLOOD" or something

as for me, i think its stupid that gays wouldnt be allowed to donate blood. like MoveAlong said, straight people get stds and aids too. i think i read somewhere that more straight people have aids than gay people do, especially in africa

[MoveAlong]

Well the thing here is that it's "expected" that sexually active gay men visit gay clubs and have unprotected sex and therefor have STDs that make their blood useless in the long run.

[Pioneer92]

which is pretty stupid considering that straight people have casual sex too and an equal chance of getting stds

[Everglow]

Should the FDA lift the ban to allow sexually active gay men to donate blood?

Unofficially it's already been done. When you go to donate blood, there are a series of like 30 or so questions that you must answer..they're basically yes and no questions....One of them has something to do with Have you had sex with a gay male after 1970 somethin..if you check yes, they won't let you donate blood....it's along the same lines as if someone travels to a third-world country..can't donate blood for like ten years since the time spent there...only sex with gay men prohibits one from donating blood for the rest of their life...main reason :arrow: significantly lowers the risk of HIV being transferred.

[Dante]

I am sure lot of sexually active gay males lie on the application just so they can be able to donate. I just do not think it is fair.

I mean they should be screening the blood properly anyway, so there shouldnt be a problem.

Blood is Blood and if it is to save my life, i do not care who it is from.

[Everglow]

Dante..JOC...have you applied to donate blood?

Blood is Blood and if it is to save my life, i do not care who it is from.

^^^I understand totally..I'd just pray to God that I'd be receiving healthy blood...ahh beggars can't be choosers ehhh?

Not fair...Yes
Discriminatory..Yes

People are too damn picky, but it's the wonderful world of bureaucracy :neutral:

[Maverick]

Are you really sure its about being picky though? Or is it to significantly reduce the number of blood testing and coming across infected blood.

[Everglow]

I see loads of economical pluses if people increase blood testing, even if it's to amplify safeguards that prevent infected blood from being transplanted. Our society is fueled by capitalism, the blood banks recognize that too. However, when the potentiality of HIV being transferred though blood transfusions became fully realized, no one in their right mind wanted to receive blood from a potential carrier. At the time of this scare, AIDS was referred to as 'Gay Cancer'. Catch my drift?

Homosexually active men are not the only individuals who are excluded from donating blood....Reasons that other potential donors are permanently excluded from donating blood include evidence of HIV infection, male homosexual activity since 1977, a history of intravenous drug abuse, or a history of viral hepatitis.

[Dante]

Dante..JOC...have you applied to donate blood?

Yes I have, like 3 times.

[Mannequin]

I'm gay--I'm not sexually active, but I can see why you wouldn't want the gay population giving blood. It seems like all gay males are man whores who have sex and party constantly. This is coming from someone who is gay.

[MoveAlong]

It's common to an extent but not every gay man does it or would do that. I can see why people or worried but I don't see why they don't screen blood.

[Whisper]

because screening every single donation from every single donor every single time in all of america would not only severely depleat the amount of accessable blood because it would take allot longer to be processed it would also cost billions of dollars, money the FDA just does not have

Its been done for simple stats
to help protect the safety of the patients reciving the blood
considering theres been so many fuck ups resulting in allot of people getting HIV I don't blaim them

There not trying to be assholes
there not trying to discriminate

I think if you walk in with very recent STD test results proving your negative they should accept no matter who you are

in Canada anyway STD tests are free and anonymous

[MoveAlong]

because screening every single donation from every single donor every single time in all of america would not only severely depleat the amount of accessable blood because it would take allot longer to be processed it would also cost billions of dollars, money the FDA just does not have

Yeah, your right...thanks!

[Melchi0r]

Yes, of course! It's not if you're gay, it's if you have STD's or other diseases.

[Rawrbaby]

that is totally mean how do u know if a straight man or woman have it but it is doing some good that they could prevent other folk from getting HIV/STD's/AIDS but any one could have it and there are many studies out thar that say gay men have safer sex that is just preventing more lives from being saved and lost if someone needs blood badly they dont care where it comes from just give it to me that is just so mean i want to give blood but i probaly cant because im gay this kind of stuff makes me sick and is just another reson why gay folk should have equal rights as straight folk they could have just we can

[Everglow]

Don't know if this means much...or if anyone really cares, but:

In FY (Fiscal Year) 2007, the FDA requested +$2,475,000 for funding of Human Tissues...What does that mean? Good question! Keep reading.

What activities will these funds support?

FDA is requesting resources to implement the new risk-based comprehensive approach for assuring the safety of HCT/Ps. These funds will support:

Detection, analysis and response to actual or potential disease transmission.
Improved IT systems and procedures to support investigation, analysis and follow-up on adverse reaction reports.
Outreach to industry and education for the medical community and the public about human tissue safety.
Research, review and pre-licensure inspections for products that require Investigative New Drug and Biologic License Applications
Training of FDA investigators and staff.
High quality inspections and compliance activities for manufacturing and processing facilities.

[colt]

hell yes!

[Kaius]

Don't bump old threads :locked: