Blood centers create shortage
with rules
Hey, have you heard
that there's a blood shortage in America?
Well, here's an idea:
maybe blood centers across America should stop discriminating against
gay men and start accepting their blood donations.
If you're a man who's
had sex with a man, even once, since 1977, don't bother trying to help
mankind by donating blood. Because, according to the FDA, your blood is
unwanted. In fact, if you're a woman who's had sex with a man who's had
sex with a man since 1977, blood banks won't take your blood donations
either.
How about you heterosexuals
who hop into a different person's bed every weekend, never bothering to
wrap yourself up in protection?
Well, you're OK.
The FDA doesn't think you're risky enough to have bad blood.
Talk about backward.
It's amazing that
the highest federal health institution in the land — the FDA —
can legally discriminate against some people but not others.
When you go to give
blood, the blood bank staff will ask you a series of questions. Some of
those questions pertain to sex: male gay sex or sex for drugs or money.
Heterosexual sex isn't even mentioned. Why is every teen-age kid in the
country being warned about unprotected sex and the consequences of HIV
and AIDS if the FDA doesn't even recognize these sexual behaviors as risky?
And why is "male
sex with a male" immediately identified as unprotected or risky? Gay men
have access to the same condoms that heterosexual men and women have access
to.
Basically, what we
have here is an outdated and irrational fear that AIDS is solely a gay
disease. In the '70s and '80s, perhaps male homosexual sex questions were
appropriate on blood donation forms. But in an enlightened era of knowing
how this disease is transmitted — and knowing that heterosexual unprotected
bed-hoppers are risky and that gay men can be protected — why are
we still discriminating against only gay men?
FDA spokesperson
Lenora Gelb told the Exponent she knows this is a conservative policy.
Gelb said, "We know
there are some donors that would be acceptable donors if we could assess
them, but this is an overlapping system of safeguards and I do think it's
appropriate."
Sure, sure. Let's
continue to deny a rather large portion of the population the right to
donate blood, and then stand around and watch others die as they wait
for blood.
Blood shortages are
a reality.
Safe blood is safe
blood, and the FDA assures people that they test ALL blood.
It's time to change
this archaic rule for blood donation and start taking blood from men and
women no matter who they choose to have sex with.
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