The United States and Canadian blood services aren’t the only ones banning gay blood: “The Thai Red Cross Society has resolved to reject blood donations from homosexual men in a move which has met with strong opposition from human rights organizations.” [Bangkok Post]
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Amber LeMay
It’s not blood from homosexual men… it’s from males who ADMIT that they’ve had sex with another man in the past that they automatically discard. Sally Secretary can gang bang the football team one night, the soccer team the next and give blood with no problems. Bruce admits to being in a committed relationship with Dick for twenty years and can’t contribute. It’s ALL tested… what’s the problem?
Alan
The UK has done this for years too. Even more crazy – they have a shortage of donors to they have to import blood from time to time. From where? Guess. That’s right. Countries that don’t have a ban on gay people giving blood! Madness!
-M-
South Africa recently abandoned this discriminatory practice. The SANBS wouldn’t accept blood from gay men who admit they had sexual relations with a man in the last 6 months, but only 3 months for women. And if you attempted to donate blood and said you did have same-sex sexual relations, you were BANNED for 10 years from donating blood.
This, fortunately, has been abandoned and gay and straight people are now on equal footing.
CitizenGeek
Amber LeMay makes a good point; straight folks have as much unprotected sex as they like, and still give blood, but ANY gay male can’t. It’s absurd and incredibly offensive. Besides, ALL blood is screened.
Maybe they’re just being extra-cautious, though?
Shirley Heezgay!
There’s also the very sneaky Canadian powers that be who in December put the kibosh on organ donation from gays.
Mike
Yes, they do screen all blood, but if you contract HIV 1-11 days before donating blood, the tests will not catch it. Every year, over 1 million people still contract HIV from blood transfusions.
Doesn’t make it right, I’m just saying. It does kinda complicate things..