Blood Donation

Moo Cow · Post by **Moo Cow** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 8:29 am

So, today was the blood drive at UMBC... It's going pretty well. I gave blood this morning, and almost got deferred twice, once for my iron, which ended up being fine, and again because i was in Costa Rica, but that was ok too because i wasn't in a malaria risk area. So all was well. For me, anyway.

In Freedom Alliance, the GSA here, we talked about men who have sex with men not being able to donate blood, and how this unilateral rejection is a problem. Today a few of the guys who can't donate for this reason were outside the donation area with signs, not protesting donation, but saying, please donate and help out, because we can't, and they also had a petition and little cards with information on them. There is an online petition to address this issue. Note that it is not asking for all gay men to be allowed to donate, merely to let those at lower risk have a chance that is not currently offered to them. Also, it addresses the fact that there are no questions addressing safe-sex practices that might make one less likely to have STDs and therefore more elegible to give blood. So if you're interested, read the petition, and if you agree, please sign. Thanks.
http://www.petitiononline.com/arc1/petition.html

~Sara

Swordsman3003 · Post by **Swordsman3003** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:03 am

That's just stupid. The questions they ask people have nothing to do with AIDS and stuff. They just want to know if they're gay.

Do they think gay blood might turn someone homosexual?

Good God I hate stupidity.

Cuteswan · Post by **Cuteswan** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:49 am

Actually, I just think that the Red Cross and others are scared to death of HIV, CJD, etc. getting into the blood supply, despite their testing (which isn't perfect) and then being sued to all heck. Actually, I won't be able to give blood again for a long time simply because I was on heparin for a little while (though I will hopefully be off the warfarin soon). Maybe they are a bit over-protective, but that's better than what happened to a large number of people in France several years ago.

Also, I must praise those men who aren't donating for still supporting the blood drive.

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:01 am

I'm not allowed to donate blood or bone marrow because I'm epileptic even though it's been something like 11 years since I last had a seisure. Kind of bums me out.

Toawa · Post by **Toawa** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:17 am

I ate beef in England after 1980...

Squidflakes · Post by **Squidflakes** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:54 am

On the other hand, the local blood bank calls me every 58 days or so demanding more blood.

DAMN YOU O-

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:17 pm

Hey! I'm O Negative too.

Squidflakes · Post by **Squidflakes** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:20 pm

Ghastly wrote:Hey! I'm O Negative too.

Alright! We can share organs!

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:22 pm

squidflakes wrote: Alright! We can share organs!

Dude! That sounds sooooo gay!

Squidflakes · Post by **Squidflakes** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:27 pm

Ghastly wrote:
squidflakes wrote: Alright! We can share organs!
Dude! That sounds sooooo gay!

This from the guy who can't draw girls without cocks!

Tellner · Post by **Tellner** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:28 pm

More O-negatives? Wow. We're the Altruistic Elite!

They won't let me donate blood for another four years.

LindaH · Post by **LindaH** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:29 pm

hmm which brings the question.. if I after my transitin would have sex with a guy.. it is ok to donate blood (soooo not gonna happen) but if i have it now.. it is out of the question..

so dumb it is silly. sure gay men have statistically run a higher risk due to the lyfestyle of many gay men, but judging them all like that..

if they really want to be on the safe side they should only pick us lessie girls.

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:32 pm

squidflakes wrote:
Ghastly wrote:
squidflakes wrote: Alright! We can share organs!
Dude! That sounds sooooo gay!
This from the guy who can't draw girls without cocks!

Hey hey! I can draw girls without cocks. I choose not to.

Squidflakes · Post by **Squidflakes** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:48 pm

Ghastly wrote:
squidflakes wrote:
Ghastly wrote: Dude! That sounds sooooo gay!
This from the guy who can't draw girls without cocks!
Hey hey! I can draw girls without cocks. I choose not to.

Woooah.. that makes it 10 times MORE GAY!

Moo Cow · Post by **Moo Cow** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:57 pm

Haha, Squiddy and Ghastly, what dorks you be. Not like that's anything new.

Linda, i denno... it's weird. The main gay man risk factor is anal sex. Because that's a loooot more likely to spread HIV than other types of sex. But unilateral rejection because of that? Stupid. They do have their reasons, though.

~Sara

Indigo Violent · Post by **Indigo Violent** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 2:59 pm

swordsman3003 wrote:That's just stupid. The questions they ask people have nothing to do with AIDS and stuff. They just want to know if they're gay.

No, they want to know if you have sex with men. A sexually inactive gay man would be fine to donate.
The problem is that AIDS is more prevalent among homosexual men than other segments of the population (yes, I know heterosexual women are the fastest growing group). And ever since the tainted blood scandal, the Red Cross (now Canadian Blood Services in Canada) has been pretty paranoid about repeats. So. Tough question.
I can't give blood again until August 13th, 2006 (new piercing), but before that I gave regularly. I'm Type O as well.

Shirt Guy Xom · Post by **Shirt Guy Xom** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:14 pm

Ghastly wrote:
squidflakes wrote:
Ghastly wrote: Dude! That sounds sooooo gay!
This from the guy who can't draw girls without cocks!
Hey hey! I can draw girls without cocks. I choose not to.

You can't eat pork rinds and claim to be a vegetarian.

MaryxTyphus · Post by **MaryxTyphus** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:18 pm

Hahahahaha!!! That's funny.

But hey the pairing's not a bad idea...

I support it! ^_^

Anyway I think I'm AB+ >P Second Rarest, I remember this because my Mom's AB- which is the rarest.

Which means nobody can have my organs! WAHAHAHA!

RavenxDrake · Post by **RavenxDrake** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:22 pm

Actually, he can. Kiki is san penis, and Chibi Sue(as far as we all know) is as well....

I think it's more accurate to say that he can't draw a NAKED woman withough putting a penis on it.

Adam Selene · Post by **Adam Selene** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:37 pm

I turned 17 and donated my liquid gold (O-) and then got bored and did it again 2 weeks later somewhere else...bad idea...